You Are Like A Sunset to Me
by freewithme
Summary: AU FINCHEL - It all started when Finn's dog wouldn't stop barking at Rachel's cat at the veterinarian's office.
1. you're all kinds of beautiful

**AU. It all started when Finn's dog wouldn't stop barking at Rachel's cat at the veterinarian's office.**

 **Based on the prompt "my dog won't stop barking at your cat in the waiting room at the vet's au" I once saw on tumblr.**

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Hey, everyone! :) Long time no see! I still have no idea when I'll be able to update my other two WIPs because my baby girl is still at the hospital. However, I've been writing this in the meantime. I hope you all enjoy. I'm currently writing the second part. I really hope you guys like it.

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 **You Are Like A Sunset to Me**

 _And in case you were wondering, you are like a sunset to me_

 _You're all kinds of beautiful as you end my day_

 _And you sweetly retire as stars chase you away_

 _(Sunsets and Car Crashes - The Spill Canvas)_

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 **Chapter 01**

 **~.~**

This is not Finn's idea of a fun time.

He is sitting down in a narrow, uncomfortable chair, way too small for his big genes, the AC is broken, and Ernie keeps barking incessantly at this lady's cat. A cat that could not care less about him and his attention seeking barks, simply ignoring his presence since the frustrating sound first started a couple of minutes ago. It happened as soon as they got inside the room, actually.

Given that Ernie is a 30kg golden retriever, Finn is quite impressed with the cat's nonchalant attitude at the moment. A little amused, too.

The other people in the waiting room of the vet's hospital, however, are not impressed. A _nd_ they are kind of giving him the stinky eye. Their pets are sort of judging him, too.

 _Wait, is that even possible?_

He looks at the lady again, shooting her an apologetic smile, "I'm sorry, he's usually not this way."

She laughs, chocolate eyes shining, "It's perfectly fine."

Finn combs his fingers through Ernie's fur, so much of it falling on the floor and on Finn's clothes. He's trying to calm him and his restless heart, which Finn can feel beating through his full, large body. Given that Ernie is a very calm dog, something must be really wrong with him. Finn hopes the doctor calls them soon enough.

Finn keeps trying to calm him down and that works for about 1.3 seconds and then Ernie is at it again.

The thing is, Ernie is more agitated than normal and it breaks Finn's heart, he's never seen his dog this upset before. He's got sick before, sure, but it's like he knows what's going to happen and he's afraid of what is going to be the outcome of his symptoms.

 _Oh, man. He heard dogs have some sort of sixth sense, what if he's dying and he knows it and that's why he's so fussy? Shit, he can't lose Ernie! They've been together for only three years!_

The lady interrupts his inner panic attack, letting out a small giggle, lightly rubbing her cat's fur and says, "I always knew she was trouble. I mean, at least with the pets in my neighbourhood, but I didn't know she could grab a strange dog's attention, too…"

He chuckles at that, making Ernie turns his head and look at his face for a second and then he goes back to barking once again. "I feel like he's pretty desperate at the moment. I've been taking him to the dog part and no other dogs seem interested in being friends with him. He's kind of lonely, I guess."

"Oh, no. That's so sad. Are you guys new in town?"

"Not exactly. I used to live here, but stayed away for 10 years. I've just moved back in a few days ago."

The assistant's voice cuts through their conversion, "Mrs. Carl and Thompson."

An old lady gets up with her shih tzu on her arms, still giving Finn and Ernie an annoyed look, what seems to spur Ernie on even though he can't stop looking at the lady's cat.

 _See? Sixth sense._

Finn hangs his head in embarrassment.

"This way, please," the assistant says, showing them the way to the doctor's office, and Finn finally raises his head, a few glares still being shot his way and making him grimace. Ernie is still not giving a tiny rat's ass.

"So," The lady, Nice (and Pretty) Lady, he decides, clears her throat, getting his attention. She adjusts her body, sitting a bit forward in her seat, turning her full attention to him and Ernie, who keeps on barking. "Are you enjoying moving back home?"

"I really am. This is the greatest city in the world."

"I agree," she beams, eyes sparkling. "Have you tried taking him to Spanish Banks beach? Perhaps you could go there, if it's near your house. There is plenty of room for him to run and on Sunday mornings it's absolutely packed with dogs. I'm sure he will make a friend there."

He let's out a breath of relief and grins, "Yeah, that's actually near my house. I never had a dog before so I don't know places to take him. Thank you so much, I'll be there on Sunday morning for sure."

"You're welcome, I'm glad to help." She offers him a kind smile, which Finn reciprocates, his dimples showing. He doesn't know if he's imagining it or not, but her smile seems to grow impossibly bigger.

In that moment, not even Ernie's barks could deviate Finn's amber eyes from her chocolate ones.

~.~

He gets home a while later, Ernie on his arms, still shaking from the doctor's shot. Finn doesn't think he'll ever get used to it, it's like it's an odyssey every single time he has to take a shot, suddenly believing he's a puppy once again and lodging himself in Finn's lap and arms, refusing to come down.

Finn tries to put him down, only for Ernie to climb over his chest and back, effectively putting his butt on the side of Finn's face.

Finn is plain exasperated by now.

"Seriously, dude?"

 _This dog is freaking huge, what the hell?_

Trying to disentangle himself from his dog, a dog that seems extremely interested in living on his back _forever_ , by the way, Finn remembers he has those ham treats he makes that he only gives Ernie when he's really desperate for him to do something.

He makes his way to the kitchen, with Ernie still glued to his body, picking up the treats from a jar inside one of the cabinets. He takes a piece and puts his left hand behind his head, manoeuvring his body to reach Ernie's nose and mouth, trying to make him interested enough to be sufficiently distracted so Finn can put him on the ground.

The dog quickly wags his tail, reaching forward to grab the treat. Finn moves to the living room, trying to make Ernie get down from his back and onto the couch, but he's having _none_ of it. He cries softly, tries to reach for the treat, but doesn't make a move to get out of Finn's back and shoulder.

 _Dammit_.

Finn sighs and tries to think of something else, narrowing his eyes and scrunching his nose in thought. And then he remembers it.

 _Allan! Hell yes!_

He goes over Ernie's big cushion at one of the corners of his living room, near the fireplace, kicks off his shoes, reaches for his left feet with his left hand and takes off his socks.

 _Okay, that was some awesome work out. I definitely deserve a piece of cake after this._

He has no idea how he does this with a giant dog hanging on him, but he does. He flexes his toes and reaches for Allan, Ernie's stuffed puppet turtle, bringing it to his left hand.

Since Allan has a hole on its body because, ya know, it's a puppet, Finn goes back to the kitchen and stuffs treats inside of Alan's hole.

He frowns midway.

 _This is weird as fuck._

He then keeps going because this is his life now so he might as well bend over and take it.

Finn puts his hand behind his head, _yet again_ , and lowers his body to the ground, trying to put Ernie's leg on the floor. Since Finn finally, _finally_ distracted Ernie enough, the dog is pushing against Finn's chest and shoulder sniffing Allan animatedly, his tail wagging wildly and hitting Finn right in the face, making him close his eyes and make a face in response.

As Ernie reaches inside of Allan's hole to get his desired treats, he slowly lets go of Finn's shoulders and back, making Finn put him on the floor quickly before he realises what Finn's doing.

Once he's completely free of Ernie, Finn slowly stands up from the floor, lifting his hand in the air and silently celebrating.

"Fuck yes!"

He looks over to the floor and sees that Ernie is still preoccupied with Allan and the treats.

Honestly, still a puppy.

Forever a puppy.

~.~

For the next few days, Finn pays close attention to see if Ernie is feeling better.

His mom is gravely concerned for her son's dog's well being after Finn calling her and telling her what's happening. Carole comes over during the week with her youngest children, the twins Nathan and Hannah, both 6 years old, and brings chicken soup for Ernie.

Finn looks at his mom with an amused face. "Um, mom? Chicken soup? You know he's not human, right?"

The twins let out a giggle, covering their mouths, their eyes sparkling. Finn looks at them and scrunches his nose at their cuteness.

Carole's face is surprised, seemingly just sinking in that Ernie is, in fact, a dog. "Oh goodness! I'm sorry, sweetheart. You know we never had a dog before. I don't know how to do this," she says, slapping her hand against her forehead.

Finn chuckles, "It's okay, mom. I'll keep the soup to myself, it smells great," he says, offering her a smile.

She smiles tightly, eyes still apologetic, "I'm sorry, honey, but you treat him like a child, I keep forgetting he's a dog!"

Finn looks thoughtful and whispers under his breath, "Kurt says that, too..."

Nathan interrupts Finn's thoughts, pointing his tiny finger at the direction of Finn's face, "It's true, Finny! Ernie has more toys than me and Hannah!"

Finn pretends to look offended, gasping dramatically. He bends over and reaches for his brother, tickling his stomach, making him squirm. "No, he doesn't, take that back!"

"Will not!" Nathan squishes and giggles in delight, making Hannah jump on Finn's back, screaming right into his ears. "It's true, Finny! It's true! He's your doggie baby!"

"What is this? A twin attack?" he asks, both Nathan and Hannah trying to tickle Finn themselves, which doesn't seem to be very effective, given the giant nature of their older brother. "That's it! I'm going to get you both and tickle you until you can't take it anymore."

At Finn's words, the twins start to run all over the house, screaming and laughing, giggling their way though the hallways and onto the backyard, making Ernie join in on the fun as well.

All of this wonderful atmosphere creates an incredible and comfortable feel inside of Finn's chest, spreading all over his body and making him _so_ fucking happy.

He smiles, ecstatic to be home again. Beaming at his mom, who has an equally peaceful happy look on her face, Finn runs after the twins.

~.~

Satisfied to know Ernie is not vomiting or excessively shedding anymore, Finn decides to take him to Spanish Banks on Sunday morning. Before he goes, he calls him mom's house and asks if his brother and sister want to come with him and Ernie to play down at the beach.

Their excited screams in response are enough to let Finn know they are _definitely_ interested.

He goes over to his mom's house, Ernie lying down on the trunk of his SUV. When he gets there it's 7am, Nathan and Hannah are already waiting on the front porch, literally bouncing on their little legs and Finn can't help but chucle at their excitement. Carole is sitting by her traditional "mom chair", an amused smile on her face. By her feet, there are two child seats, the ones she has for when the twins ride in other people's cars.

Finn knows they're just waiting for his okay to run over to his car, Carole being strict that they cannot leave the porch area unless they are allowed to, so he makes a spectacle of taking his seatbelt off and slowly gets out of the car, like he has allllllllllllll the time in the world.

"Finny! You're doing this on purpose!" Hannah shouts, stomping her feet.

He tries to contain his smile when he says, "Am not!"

Both Nathan and Hannah give him an annoyed look and shout in unison, "Are too!"

He moves tortuously slow through the front yard of his mom's house, opening the gate and pushing it all the way. He leans down to tie his shoes, stands up, the twins almost fuming. They look so angry, their lips pressed together, eyes judging their brother.

Finn stops right before he reaches the porch. He puts his finger on his chin, pretending to remember something and then turns back around, making the twins complain loudly, screaming, "Finny! Stop being mean!"

He turns around smiling, goes to the front porch and extends both of his arms, the twins forgetting they are upset and throwing themselves against their big brother. The three of them hug and Finn says, "Come on, guys, get in the car. Mom and I will set up your seats whilst you guys look after Ernie."

The twins run to the car, Carole and Finn grinning after them.

"Finn, I already put sunscreen on them, but in two hours, you have to reapply it. I set up a bag with their sunscreen, do you have anywhere to put it?"

"Yeah, I do. I made a few snacks and got water for us, too. I'll just put it in my bag."

Finn opens the door of his truck, grabs his messenger bag and puts the twins' sunscreen inside. He picks up the twins and puts them inside with Ernie until he and his mom finish setting up the child seats.

As they are setting up the car seats, Carole asks, "How is the restaurant going, sweetie?"

"It's going really well, mom," Finn responds, "I stopped by yesterday and it's around 70% finished. Tina said we can open in about two months, maybe seven weeks."

"That's so exciting!" Carole says in an encouranging tone, "I'm sure that with Tina in charge, you guys will open just in time. I'm so happy she's your partner with this, Finn."

"Thanks, mom. It means a lot to me that you feel that."

"I do. I'm also really happy that things are working out and that you're finally back home," she says, touching his arm and squeezing it. "Burt, the twins, and I missed you so much, honey."

Finn side-hugs her, leaning his head over hers. "I missed you guys, too. I'm happy to be home."

Carole smiles at him and asks, "Finn, do you think you can you spend the afternoon here after you guys come back from the beach? We can have a barbecue, if you want. Invite Santana, Quinn, Grace, Tina, Mike... what do you say?"

Finn's eyes light up at the mention of his closest friends. "That would be awesome! I'll text them when we get to the beach and then I'll call and let you know. If they can't come, I'll be here anyway."

Carole grins. "Great! I'll be waiting!"

As they finish setting the chair seats, Finn goes to the back to get the twins.

"Come on, guys," he claps his hands together. "We're all set, let's go."

"Finny, can we stay here and ride with Ernie?" Hannah asks in a small voice.

"I'm sorry, Banana, but no. It's really dangerous to be without seatbelts here in the back."

"But the beach is not that far away!" Nathan tries to insist, making his eyes go wide, just the way he knows it melts Finn's heart every time.

Finn tries to be stern and gives both of them a pointed look. "I know it isn't, guys, but we have to follow the law." They seem unconvinced, so Finn tries his best, drawing dramatic scenarios just as he learnt with Kurt. "Do you want me to get arrested and stay away forever?"

The twins gasp, looking utterly shocked. "No!" they say, both of their mouths hanging open in fear.

Finn holds back a smirk and goes on, "Then we have to do what the law says, okay?"

The twins appear to give in, lowering their heads, and whispering in unison, "Okay, Finny."

Satisfied, Finn picks up Hannah first, hands her to Carole so she can set up her in her seat. Finn then picks up Nathan and puts him on his designated seat.

He goes over to the driver sit and they all say goodbye to their mom, driving off to the beach.

As they pull down at the parking lot at the beach, the twins are euphoric once again.

"Beach! Yay!" they scream and clap their hands, making Finn beam, so glad he brought his two little monsters along with him and Ernie.

Finn looks at them through the rear view mirror and asks, "Are you guys excited?"

They let out a joint excited scream, "So!"

Finn smiles, stopping his car and taking Nathan and Hannah off their seats.

"Guys, listen," he says in a firm voice. He bends his knees so he can look into the twins' eyes, a tactic he learnt from him mom long ago. "I brought some stuff for us to eat and drink, and I also got some of Ernie's toys, they're all in this bag," He points to his messenger bag. "I need you guys to hold hands and do not let go until we stop somewhere to sit down, understand?"

The twins nod their heads, reaching for each other's hand automatically, which makes Finn give them two thumbs up.

Finn gets Ernie out of the trunk, holding his leash with his right hand and holding Nathan's hand with his left, making sure Nathan is tightly holding Hannah's hand.

They walk on the beach until they find a tree trunk to sit against.

"Sit down, boy," Finn instructs Ernie. As he sits, Finn reaches into his pocket and gets him treat, which he promptly eats. Finn pets him gently, "Good boy."

Finn gets a blanket from his bag and spreads it open, asking the twins to sit down for a second.

"Okay, we're going to need two basic rules. Number one, you guys can play with Ernie as much as you want. I'm going to play with him and you guys, too, but you _can't_ go far away from me," Finn explains, "Number two, if Ernie's ball goes far away and he doesn't want to catch it, you guys have to stay here and I will go get it myself, is that understood?" Hannah and Nathan nod their heads. "Okay then," he says, reaching for his bag, and pulling out a few of Ernie's toys and puts them on the blanket. "We're going to let Ernie decide which toy he wants to play with first. And then, when he gets tired, he'll pick another one and we'll keep going until it's time to leave."

The twins start bouncing with excitement, calling Ernie closer to them so he can grab a toy. Nathan subtly, or so he likes to think, pushes the frisbee to Ernie's line of vision, which of course gets his attention. Ernie ends up grabbing the frisbee, making Finn laugh and look at Nathan, who only smiles in return.

~.~

Two hours later, because he never was one to disobey his mom's rules, Finn tells the twins he has to reapply their sunscreen so they have to stop for a little while. When they protest, because they don't want to stop playing ("It just got fun, Finny!"), Finn brings his silly face out, "Do you guys want to look like big tomatoes? All red and swollen?" he jokes, sticking his tongue out and making a face.

The twins giggle, shaking their heads. They go over to their blanket, Finn reapplying the sunscreen whilst Ernie drinks his water. Shortly after, they go back to playing again.

After a few hours of throwing balls and frisbees and sticks, Finn is exhausted. Apparently he forgot how full of energy 6 year olds could be.

 _It hasn't been that long since I played with them... right?_

He tells the twins to stay close and then sits against the tree trunk, gulping an entire bottle of water down as he watches them play with Ernie.

He then grabs his phone and texts Santana, Quinn, Tina, and Mike, inviting them over to his mom's barbecue later that day. They all confirm, so Finn calls his mom and let's her know. She's excited, letting out an excited shriek and Finn can't help by smile at his mom's happiness. She loves to have a house full of family and friends and given that Finn was living away for the last ten years, her chances of hosting barbecues and parties were sadly reduced. Even when Kurt lived back home, he was never much into having a lot of friends, always concerned with his boyfriend Adam and Adam only.

He leans against the tree trunk and observes his surroundings, half expecting to see Nice (and Pretty) Lady from the vet's hospital. But then he remember she has a _cat_ and cats don't go to the beach much… right?

 _I mean, they're scared of water and everything..._

Finn shrugs those thoughts off, focusing on his siblings, who are jumping around and playing with Ernie.

"Guys?" Finn calls for them, grabbing their attention. "Do you want any water or food?"

The twins shake their heads at first. They then look at each other, lean their heads together and exchange a few words. Finn looks at them suspiciously, narrowing his eyes.

Hannah then comes over to where Finn is sitting, Finn already bracing himself for a request, it's blatantly written on his sister's face and he loves the fact she thinks she's _so_ sneaky.

"Hey, Hannah Banana. Do you want some water?"

"No, thank you," she says, shaking her head, and taking her pretty chestnut hair out of her face, sticking all over her with sweat. "Finny, can we take Ernie to the water?" she asks.

"Hmm—"

"I swear it's just for him!" she tries harder, taking him response in a negative way. "We don't have to get in, too!"

Finn laughs at her request. "Are you guys in your bathing suits? I forgot to ask mom."

She hesitates for a second. "We are… but we don't have to get in! We just want to see Ernie get wet and shake his body," she giggles, covering her mouth.

Finn thinks about it for a moment, mulling over the thought that Ernie is going to get _very_ wet. But then again... it is pretty hot so it's not going to take long for him to dry off or anything.

"Yeah, let's do it," he says, making Hannah jump with joy. "Hang on, I'll come with. Tell Nate to bring over Ernie's frisbee, okay? We'll only take the ball to the water."

She nods, calling Nathan over and waiting for Finn to get up and grab the ball.

They go with Ernie to the water. Finn calls him close, holding him back through his collar. He gives Hannah the ball, instructing her to throw it as far as she can and then telling Ernie to catch it.

Hannah picks up the balls, throws it and says, "Catch, Ernie!" To which Ernie responds quickly and sprints to the water, swimming over to the ball and bringing it back.

Finn grabs a treat from his pocket and hands over to Ernie. "Good boy, Ernie!"

"Me now. Me, me!" Nathan says, jumping up and down. Finn laughs, holding Ernie back again and giving Nathan the same instructions.

"Finny, can I give him a treat this time?" Hannah asks.

"Of course you can, Banana. Here, take a few," he says, putting them on her small hands.

"Okay. Ready, Nate?"

Nathan nods, smiling. "Catch, Ernie!"

The dogs does the same as before, coming back and getting a treat from Hannah's hand whilst Finn tells him, "Easy, boy. Easy."

Ernie is careful when taking the treat from Hannah's hand, just like Finn asked him to, so Finn gives him one more treat for being good. "There's my good boy."

They keep it up for a while more, Hannah and Nathan taking turns on throwing the ball and giving Ernie treats, Finn supervising them, making sure Ernie is being gentle with the kids. Not that he wouldn't be since he's gentle with pretty much every single person or animal ever (except Nice (and Pretty) Lady's cat), but Finn has to make sure.

Later, when the kids finally seem to show some sort of tiredness, they ask Finn for water and food. Everyone comes back to the blanket and the twins eat and drink whilst Ernie dries off, shaking his fur and rubbing against a big towel Finn put down for him.

The twins watch the dog and giggle incessantly, thinking it's the funniest thing in the world how Ernie seems to rub himself in the towel and pull it over his body, rolling around like a burrito.

Finn looks at his brother and sister, then looks at Ernie and laughs along with them.

His morning couldn't be better than this.

~.~

When it's around lunch time, Finn tells the twins it's time to go home. They protest a little bit, but then Finn reminds them that he'll bring them to the beach to play with Ernie again if they're good and listen to him. The twins them promptly go over to where Finn is sitting, helping him to gather their stuff and take Ernie to the car.

Finn puts Hannah and Nathan on their seats and Ernie in the trunk, heading over to his mom's house. As he gets there, he sees two cars in front of her house and gets excited because he knows he's going to see his friends again. He hasn't had a chance to meet up with everyone since he moved back.

He gets out of the car, takes Hannah and Nathan off their seats and gets Ernie from the trunk. They head over to the front door and Finn opens it, a welcoming, delicious homey smell invading his senses. He lets Ernie off his leash, making him run to the backyard like he knows he'll find tasty food there, the twins going after him.

Finn gets to the backyard and is received with warm smiles and plenty of hugs.

Santana is the first in line, as expected, hugging her long time best friend. "I missed you, Finnocence. I'm glad you're back," she says, giving Finn a hug.

Behind Santana is Quinn, who's holding one year old Grace in her arms. She comes over to Finn, hugging him to the best of her abilities with Grace between them. "I missed you, Finn."

"I missed you, too, Q," he says warmly.

Finn then stretches his arms for Grace, "Come here, munchkin." Grace only watches him at first, leaning her head back and giving him a suspicious look. Then, all of a sudden, jumps out of her mom's arms, flying into Finn's and snuggling against his neck, closing her eyes in bliss. Finn kisses the top of her head and rubs his warm hand against her small back, leaning his head against her.

Santana and Quinn smile at the scene in front of them, knowing how much Grace will love to have her godfather around. It's not like they will mind a cheap manny either.

"You know, Santana's not the same without you around to, _ahem_ , control her, you see?" Quinn says, knocking her elbow gently against Santana's ribs.

Santana pretends to be offended and says, "Hey! I resent that!"

Finn and Quinn share a laugh, knowing well how much Santana did miss having Finn around. And he was always good at balancing her excited energy with his calm presence.

Santana takes Quinn's hands and heads back to their table. "I'm going to eat and then make out with my hot wife now that you're holding my beautiful baby, the cutest cockblocker in the world."

Finn lets out a loud laugh, Grace stirring against his chest, whining. Finn rubs her back and gently rocks his body, making her settle down again. He goes over to a wood lawn chair, sitting next to Tina and Mike.

"Hey, partner," Tina says, smiling.

"Hey, fave partner," Finn responds, making Tina and Mike laugh.

Mike says, "Glad to see you, Finn."

"You too, man. How's the new job?" Finn asks, gently rocking Grace back and forth, who seems to have fallen asleep in the cosiness and warmth of Finn's embrace. He looks down at her and smiles.

Mike answers, "Still adjusting, but it's pretty cool, the guys at the company are huge nerds like me, testing video games all day everyday just one thing we share in common."

"I'm glad you're liking it," Finn replies honestly.

Tina chuckles and says, "Oh, he really is. Doesn't seem to ever stop talking about it."

Mike shakes his head and adds, "Not entirely true. I do talk about other… stuff."

"Yeah? Like what?" Tina teases him, which make Finn grin and shake his head, so glad to be able to be together with his friends again.

"Mmm, I talk about the beaches here?"

Tina laughs, "Ha! Yeah, you're right about that." She turns to Finn and tells Finn. "Finn, he's obsessed with the beaches here. And I didn't even had the time to take him to the islands yet."

"Man, you haven't been to the islands yet?" Finn asks.

Mike shakes his head. "I've never been on this coast before."

"Loser," Tina mutters under her breath. Mike gasps, making Tina giggle. "I'm kidding, babe. We'll take you there, okay?"

Mike fake pouts. Tina puts her hands on his face and smiles at him, he smiles back and nods.

Tina then says, "I'm sad I haven't seen you at the restaurant yet, Finn, the time you came by I wasn't there."

"I know, I suck," Finn grimaces, "I should be there more often, but Ernie is kind of sick lately, I can't take my eyes off of him, you know?"

"No need to explain, I can only imagine how much the change of coasts could affect him, the trip was awfully long. Alma has been moody, too."

Mike nods furiously, which makes Finn chuckles and ask, "Yeah?"

Tina nods and Mike, too. He says, "She's been more than moody, babe. She's even biting me, what's up with that? She used to love me."

Finn says, "I didn't even know cats were into biting, to be honest."

"Me neither. And they're good at it, too. Tina think it's because sh—"

"Shhh!" Tina hisses to her husband. "We're going to tell him later, when everyone can hear."

Mike grimaces, "Sorry, babe. I forgot."

That makes Finn curious, sitting a bit straighter in his chair. "What? What is it?"

Tina shakes her head and says, "We'll tell you later, Finn, hold your horses."

Finn narrows his eyes. Tina refuses to say anything, staring him hard. He lets out a breath and gives in. "Fine, but I will ask about it when we're all around the table."

Tina laughs and nods, "Sure thing, partner."

The three chat up some more when Finn feels Grace sleeping and sucking on her thumb. He excuses himself and goes over to where Quinn and Santana are sitting, and gently puts Grace on the stroller next to their table, smiling at her peaceful sleeping self.

He then goes over to the grill, where Burt is, his eyes glued to his iPad, watching some tennis match, probably Wimbledon from the time of the year. Finn watches amused, clearing his throat, trying to get his dad's attention. When it doesn't work, he resorts to using his words.

"Hey, dad."

Burt finally turns around. "Son!" He hugs Finn, letting all the years of Finn being away show and getting both of them a little emotional. "I'm so happy that you're back, son, we missed you around here."

"I missed you guys, too. Can't wait to sit down and talk to you about sports, I was suffering in Toronto. Neither Adam nor Kurt like anything we like, and Ernie doesn't talk," Finn says, "I mean, not like a human, he does bark and everything." Burt laughs at Finn's rambling. Finn chuckles and says, "Anyway! It was hard."

Burt snorts, "Tell me about it. Your mother is not into sports and the twins are not interested in that right now so I was in misery, too."

They share a laugh, patting each other on the back and hugging again.

"So, what are you grilling?"

"Just some vegetables for now," Burt opens the top of the grill, showing Finn some potatoes, green beans, tomatoes, onions, and obviously, asparagus. "Your mother told me to wait until you were here to put the meat, she says not even my extensive experience could be as perfect as having your input because 'A chef's input is always valuable, honey'." Burt says, imitating Carole's voice and shaking his head.

Finn laughs loudly at that. "She means well, you still are the best griller I ever met, you don't need my opinion on anything, dad."

"Yeah, yeah, you tell her that."

"Don't worry, I will."

"In the meantime, can you go to the fridge and get some meat, please? I've been dying for a steak, you know me."

Finn nods, "Sure thing, be right back."

After plenty of meat and vegetables grilled, everyone sits on the table to eat. As they are chatting away, Tina gets up, knocking a fork against a glass to get everyone's attention.

"Guys, Mike and I have something to tell you all."

Everyone stays quiet and turns their attention to the couple.

"I'm sure that by now you guys know that you're not only our friends, but you are our family." she starts, "And we love you all so much. We're thankful to everything you guys done for us and for accepting us into your homes and lives," Tina says, getting a little bit emotional and teary eyed. Mike squeezes her hand, giving her a silent comfort to go on. "We were so excited and happy when Finn invited us for this barbecue. It was the perfect time for us to gather, and to tell you guys..." she trails off, lowering her hands, and meeting Mike's halfway, in her stomach. "We're pregnant!"

Everyone around the table cheers and congratulates the happy couple, getting up from their seats to hug them both.

As Finn looks around his mom's backyard and watches his family and friends happily interacting with one another he can't help but think this is _exactly_ where he belongs. He can't believe he lived ten years without these people and the warm atmosphere that seems to come with them, signalling one important thing in life: he's finally _home_.

~.~

Ernie seems to get sick again on Wednesday, which makes Finn worry two times harder this time. All of the symptoms that had gone away, the fever, the diarrhoea, the vomiting, the excessive shedding... they're all back now. And now excessive panting and weak legs seems to be added to the mix. They all seem to come back with a vengeance and Finn hurries to take Ernie to see Dr. Yokas again. He's so glad the restaurant is not opening for another few weeks because this way, he has the entire day to be around Ernie and take care of him. He would feel awful if he had to work and leave him alone.

Ernie stays quiet and doesn't quite move when they are in the waiting room this time, resting his head over his pawns and Finn just _knows_ he's sad. He _knows_ his dog and he is _so_ upset right now. Finn pets Ernie, trying to make him feel better somehow.

Last time they were here, Dr. Yokas said he was stressed because of the moving and probably had separation anxiety concerning Finn's brother given that Kurt lived with them in Toronto and took care of him everyday, taking Ernie with him for his morning run and then walking him again at night when he got home from work.

 _"He was used to having your brother around," Dr. Yokas explained. "It's going to be hard for him to adjust to your new life for the next few days. Perhaps even weeks. I'm going to give him a shot for his physical symptoms, but make sure you give him plenty of affection." Finn nods at the vet's words. "Finn, I'm talking about spoiling him all day long, hugging, petting and giving compliments. Try to take him to for walks in your neighbourhood so he can get acclimated to the new city, too. Make sure you do all of this and he'll be fine before you know it."_

Finn really did try to give him as much love as he possibly could, petting and hugging him constantly, taking him to buy new toys and treats, letting him sleep on his king size bed, taking him to his mom's house to play with the twins, taking him on long walks around the neighbourhood (when Ernie felt like getting up from his sad corner on the couch, that is), but nothing seemed to completely work.

Now, here they were. Back at the vet's hospital to see Dr. Yokas, Finn's heart breaking all over again for his dog.

The assistant calls for Finn and Ernie to enter the doctor's office. Finn gets inside and puts Ernie on the table, making him lay down on it, but not without some soft cries and whimpers that make Finn's heart _physically_ hurt.

"Hey again, doc."

"Hello, Finn," Dr. Yokas approaches them and pets Ernie. "What seems to be the problem this time?"

"Well, he's just as sick as before, but now he's panting, too," As Finn is talking, the doctor is examining Ernie. "And his legs seem kind of weak."

"His anxiety seemed to get worse. Have you noticed any change in his behaviour after last time? After you guys left here?"

"Hm, let's see. He was kind of moody the first day..." Finn says. "A few days later he got better, so much that I took him to the beach with my brother and sister and he played the entire day. Even after when we went to my mom's house for a barbecue. He seemed happy for a little while, but then we came home and he went back to his earlier sad self. I took him to walks, took him to my mom's house to play with my brother and sister, bought new toys and made new treats, nothing seems to interest him."

"Yeah, he seems to be really depressed," Dr. Yokas says. "I'm going to give you some medicine for you to give him for his physical problems again and we're going to figure out a strict routine for you and him," Dr. Yokas explains, "How are your working hours?"

"Well, right now I'm not working. I'm setting up a new restaurant and we're opening in about six weeks or so."

"How is your routine going to be when your restaurant opens?"

"I'll work 6 nights a week and 3 mornings, I just didn't decided the exact days yet."

"Understood. Here's what we're going to do." Dr. Yokas grabs paper and a pen from a desk in the corner, handing them over to Finn. "You're going to set up a routine for him as of tomorrow. I'm going to tell you what you need to do and you'll write it down." Finn starts writing on the piece of paper the vet gave him. "You're going to walk him three times a day. You may choose the times, but you have got to stick to it, no matter what happens. He needs rigid stability for now, and he needs to be sure nothing is going to change again for the time being otherwise his anxiety levels will go through the roof."

Finn nods his head and keeps writing.

"You're going to take him to your mother's house in specific times and days, too. You can't just take him whenever you feel like it, he needs to understand it's something that happens certain days. He needs to feel safe within your routine." Finn writes down everything he's saying. "When you leave the house to go to work or for groceries or errands and stuff like that, do not make a big deal out of it because it will make him more anxious, if you act like it's natural, so will he. The same thing when you come back home, don't make a huge deal, just walk inside and do what you have to do. After a few minutes, call him over and pet him," Dr. Yokas finishes. "Got any questions?"

"Hm, I don't think so. Thank you for this, Dr. Yokas."

"You're welcome, Finn. He'll be fine, just stick to your routine and he'll get acclimated fast."

"I will. Anything else?"

"Hm, since you're not going to work for the next two months or so, now it's the perfect time for you to get out of the house for a while and leave him alone. But you have to be consistent with him, Finn. First leave for five minutes. Then stay out for ten and then fifteen and twenty, keep going from there. Whenever you come back and see that he's okay, stay with him for a few hours and then leave again. This will help a great deal with his anxiety because he knows you'll return whenever you leave. It's not like you're leaving him forever. Got it?"

"Noted."

Dr. Yokas prescribes Finn some medication for Ernie and then says, "Come back a week from today whether he's fine or not. Although if he continues on like this, you may return sooner than a week. I want to see how he's doing."

Finn nods at his words. They say their goodbyes, Finn carrying Ernie once again because he still doesn't feel like walking. It breaks his heart and Finn _really_ hopes he gets better soon.

~.~

Finn and Ernie come back a week later, just like Dr. Yokas asked them to. Finn was really happy that they didn't have to come before, the routine seemed to help quite a lot. He walked Ernie in the morning at 6am, just so he could do his business, given that whenever they came back, both would sleep again, most times they would both cuddle up and sleep on the couch, going to the second floor was _way_ too much work for their semi-lazy asses.

Then they would go out for a walk again at 11am, right before lunch and then at 6pm. Sometimes they would go out at 10pm if the night was pleasing enough and Finn would notice Ernie getting a bit antsy.

Going to his mom's house in defined days also helped a lot. Finn decided to go three times a week, on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. He also made a deal with him mom that when he started working she would pick up the twins from school and then swing by Finn's house to take Ernie for the day. Then Finn would pick up Ernie when he left the restaurant.

The twins were ecstatic that Finn bought Ernie over every other day, already trying to set up activities and "courses" for Ernie to go over. Honestly, Finn thought his siblings were the cutest little things on Earth, even if they had no idea how to set a course and only put down two ropes on his mom's backyard, trying to make Ernie stay inside the "path with no lava", as they called it. It wasn't exactly the best exercise, but fuck if it wasn't the single cutest thing ever.

Carole was excited, too, telling Finn it was like the twins had their own dog, only without the high maintenance that came with it. Finn laughed, keeping the thought to himself that maybe someday having Ernie over every other day would not be enough for the twins, maybe they would want a full time dog. He didn't say anything, though, otherwise his mom would totally back out of their agreement.

Ernie had a pretty good week, he seemed calmer after the medication and the routine Finn set up for him, showing particular excitement whenever they would go to his mom's house and spend some time with the twins. After about four days he would wake up Finn before their morning walk, already knowing their schedule. Finn was so happy he had a smart and well trained dog.

Fuck yes, golden retrievers!

The only thing that still made him anxious were the times Finn would leave him alone. He did how Dr. Yokas told him, a few minutes at the time. The first time Finn went out the door and could hear Ernie crying. He walked down his street and when he came back Ernie was still crying by the door. It _almost_ made Finn want to give up this whole things altogether and never leave Ernie's side ever fucking again, but then he remembered he wanted the best for his dog, so he kept working on it. He figures it's good practice for when he has kids anyway.

He tried again and again and again and again and six days later – finally! – he was able to leave Ernie without him crying. Finn made a happy tiny dance the moment he step out the door, so happy they finally made it.

Now, here they are, a week later, at Dr. Yokas' office once again.

Finn takes Ernie out of the trunk of his car, happy to know he doesn't mind walking this time. As soon as they enter the waiting room, Ernie starts barking again, just like the first time they were here. Finn quickly notices that the Nice (and Pretty) Lady is with her cat again, sitting in a chair.

Her cat acts just as unimpressed as the first time, doesn't even bothering to look in Ernie's direction, stretching in the nice lady's lap and yawning, which makes Finn chuckle because it makes Ernie barks harder. It's like the cat is totally snubbing Ernie, acting like it doesn't have time for Ernie's nonsense. The Nice (and Pretty) Lady looks at him, first surprise then recognition crossing her beautiful chocolate eyes, and he gives her a small smile, mouthing, "I'm really sorry."

She smiles this huge beautiful smile back at him, shaking her head and mouthing back, "It's okay."

Finn stands at the waiting room, literally everyone looking at him and he doesn't quite know what to do or how to react. He tries to read people's eyes, but only for a second because the death glare game is strong for everyone at the moment, and Finn wonders if they know goldens are supposed to be one of the most quiet dogs ever given that they don't really bark a lot, they're basically a fluffy obedient ball of fur.

 _Wait, is everyone here an expert and are totally judging me as a shitty person who can't even keep his dog calm? Oh shit, am I a bad pet owner?_

Having another inner panic attack, something that seems to only happened in this damned vet's office, he hears the assistant calling, "Rachel and Nina, please."

The Nice (and Pretty) Lady gets up from her seat.

 _Huh, Rachel, is it? Pretty name for a pretty lady._

Ernie keeps barking harder, Finn wondering if he thinks they're coming to their direction. They obviously go another way and Ernie actually drags Finn a bit forward with the weight of his body. Finn seems to regain his thoughts and composure, and takes Ernie outside because he does not want to subject those people to Ernie being kind of ass one more minute. Also, he doesn't want magazines and chew toys to be thrown at his head, which seems to be possible given the way people were looking at him just now.

Finn and Ernie go outside and Ernie seems to morph into his regular low-key self, calming down in a second and sitting by Finn's feat, wagging his tail and sticking his tongue out.

 _What the…?_

Finn looks suspiciously at his dog, narrowing his eyes and pursing his lips. He leans down and pets Ernie. "What was that about, huh, buddy?"

Ernie turns his head again Finn, gets closer and licks Finn's palm.

"Are you apologising for being an ass to the nice lady and her cat?"

Ernie continues on licking Finn's hand and wagging his tail. "Dude, you can't just lick me and hope it gets better, it doesn't work like that. A few licks are not going to fix this," Finn says, but makes no move to stop petting Ernie. "No, wait. That sounded weird, actually," he laughs to himself. "Phew, at least no one heard that, what the heck they would think, eh?"

"Actually, I heard that," says a soft voice from his back.

Finn turns abruptly, standing up with wide eyes and an open mouth. It's the Nice (and Pretty) Lady, errm, Rachel. But she doesn't have her cat with her. What she does have is a smirk and twinkling eyes, dancing with an amused expression.

"Shit, that must have sounded horrible."

"I'm kidding, promise," she says, leaning down and petting Ernie. "Wow, didn't know you could go five seconds without barking, huh?" she laughs, rubbing her hands on him, his ears, and neck. When she goes for the neck, Finn knows what's coming next because if there's one thing to be sure in life is that Ernie will throw himself on the floor, doesn't matter where they are, as soon as someone rubs his neck. It's like his magical, happy spot.

Ernie does what's expected of him and totally gives in to her petting, throwing himself on the floor, full belly up and begging for more attention.

She laughs gently and concurs to his request, rubbing his belly and making him stick his tongue out, a look of pure bliss on his face.

Finn chuckles, "He's kind of addicted to petting, you won't be able to stop now."

"Oh, it's okay, I'll be here for a while anyway…" she continues on petting him and laughing, the prettiest laugh Finn has ever heard.

Finn tries to be smooth and cleans his throat in hopes to get her attention so they can talk, but ends up chocking somehow. Shit. She gets up and puts her hand on his arm, "Oh my gosh, are you okay?"

He continues on coughing and nods his head, his hands indicating he's okay with his thumbs up.

She looks at him with a worried expression, her eyebrows drawing closer, "You sure?"

He finally composes himself and says, "Yeah, sorry. Ernie's hair must have gotten in my mouth or something."

She looks at him and gives him an amused look, arching her eyebrow, unable to contain her smile, "Well, I mean, if he licks you and everything… I would hope you would—"

Finn finally gets what she's talking about, his eyes widening and almost shouts, "Oh my god, no! Ew! No!"

She looks at him seriously for a split second, but then a big smile stretches and invites all of her face for a delicious laugh. She lets out a full belly laugh, throwing her head back and holding her stomach because she's laughing so hard. He looks at her like she's out of this world crazy, but can't help and laugh, too.

She's funny, he'll give her that.

She collects herself, picking up her hand and wiping beneath her eyes, saying in an apologetic voice, "I'm so sorry, I swear I was just kidding. My sense of humour is kind of messed lately, I'm sorry."

He grins, "It's okay."

"So, Rachel, is it?" he asks, extending his hand. "My name's Finn." They shake hands, Finn pointing to his dog, "And you met Ernie."

She nods, petting Ernie's head once again, "I have, yes. He's so cute."

"Meh, he's alright," he says jokingly, trying not to make a big deal of Ernie being the best dog _ever_.

At least the best dog Finn has ever met.

He also doesn't think right now is the time to brag about his dog, considering Rachel didn't get to see the best of him so far, you know, with him barking at her dog like a jerk and all.

She looks up at him and smiles, pretty white teeth showing, "Nice to meet you, Finn."

He smiles back, "You too, Rachel."

"Tell me, Finn, did you try that beach I told you about?"

"Oh yeah. It was _so_ awesome, thank you so much for the recommendation. I went there Sunday morning."

"You're welcome, I'm glad you liked it. Sunday, huh?" he nods, "I didn't see you there."

His eyes go wide again, "You take your _cat_ there?"

She laughs at his confusion, "Oh no, I take my two dogs there. I have two dogs and two cats, Nina is just one of my many babies."

"Oh," he smiles sheepishly. "So where is she, by the way?"

Her face, which was happy until seconds ago, falls. He instantly feels bad, feeling like a jerk for making her beautiful smile go away. She bites her lower lip, "She's in there getting some exams done. I came out here to take a breath."

Uh oh. By her tone of voice and her face, that doesn't sound like a good thing. "Is she okay?" Finn asks in a soft voice.

Rachel looks up at him, her eyes glassy and her lower lip trembling a bit.

"It's okay, Rachel, you don't have to tell me or anything. We just met."

"No," she shakes her head, inhaling. "No, it's okay."

He gives her an empathetic look.

"She's just… a bit old, you know? She's 13 now. That's why she doesn't look at Ernie when he barks, she's deaf. She hasn't been able to hear a thing for a few years now."

"I'm sorry to hear that. Do they know what's wrong with her?"

"She has a kidney problem, they're failing. Fast. Her blood is also super messed up because of it and it's just—" her voice starts to waver and she tightly closes her eyes. Finn can't help it and reaches for her arms, rubbing them.

She gives him a shy and thankful smile.

"I hope she gets better soon, Rachel."

"Thank you, Finn. That's very kind of you."

"And, you know, I'm sorry Ernie keeps barking at her, he can be an ass. He doesn't even bark, like, _ever_ , but he barks at her for some reason, I don't even know what's up."

She finally smiles again and he's relieved, glad to see her pretty lips stretching and filling her face with charm once again. "That's okay. I think he likes her, to be honest. I mean, it's not hard to like her, she's the best cat I've ever met."

Finn wonders for a second. "Now that you mentioned it, I think he might like her, too. Poor Ernie," he looks down at his dog, that's now sitting down. "He has no idea what he's gotten himself into."

She giggles in response, "So, on Sunday, has Ernie made any friends at the beach?" Rachel asks.

"Not exactly. When I went there he only played with my brother and sister, he didn't exactly wander off and explored or anything like that."

"Aw, why not?"

"My brother and sister are only 6, I didn't want Ernie to run around and drag them with him, you know? I only have two hands, they outnumber me if they want to do something," he jokes. "My mom would kill me if something happened to them."

Rachel grins, "I can imagine how they are, I teach Elementary School."

"Oh man, you _really_ know what I mean then."

"I _really_ do," she emphasises.

"That was pretty much it. We stayed by that most secluded area where the sand is thinner, by the trees, at the far west side, you know?"

"I know where. Yeah, there's not much room there so people usually bring their dogs more to the centre of the beach where there's plenty of sand for them to run around."

"I think I'll bring Ernie there on Sunday then. Thank you, again, for the tip."

"Since you're going back maybe we can meet up, and let our dogs play together. Ernie can be friends with my dogs."

"That sounds awesome, thanks. Which kind of dogs do you have?"

"I have two corgis," she beams, so proud of her babies. "They are _literally_ the cutest dogs you will ever met in your life. Ever." Finn mock nods, pretending to get along with her. She turns serious, "I'm seriously, they are the actual best, Finn."

"Uh huh. Sure they are."

"Are you implying Ernie is more cute than _my_ dogs?" she sounds half annoyed and half amused, if that's even a thing. Finn's just glad he got to distract her from the sadness that seemed to take over a few moments ago.

His only response is to shrug, which actually make her stomp her feet, making him remember Hannah just the other day and he tries as hard as he can to hold back a smile because she looks damn _cute_ right now.

"Say my dogs are cuter, Finn."

"I will not."

"Say it"

"Nope," se says, making the 'p' pop, crossing his arms and staring at her.

She narrows her eyes and pursues her lips, staring hard at him. "On Sunday…" she starts, "…you'll see. We can try asking for random people at the beach, if you want."

He snorts, "That's not fair! You go there a lot, people must love you."

She is the one who shrugs now, making him cock his head to the side, eyeing her in a suspicious manner.

His face turns serious, eyes piercing through hers, "Oh, it's _on_ , Rachel."

She giggles, pointing a finger at him, "Good!"

"Don't worry, you'll see it on Sunday. Ernie's the definite best."

"I can't wait," she turns around, going for the building's door. She turns to face him again, walking backwards and waving her arms, "But listen, I have to go back in now," she points to the building behind her. "But don't worry, _my_ dogs are _extremely_ well behaved, they don't bark at strangers at all, Ernie will not be taken off guard, okay?" she teases him, grinning, eyes shining with laughter and gets inside the building before he can respond.

He laughs at her retreating figure and leans down to pet Ernie. "I think we got ourselves a play date, buddy."

~.~

On Sunday, Finn and Ernie arrive early at Spanish Banks beach. Just to make sure they would already be there when Rachel and her dogs appear, you see. Finn pats himself on the back for his strategy. Clearly, he's such a wonderful strategist he might as well be a part of the Avengers or something. Cook them awesome food, then kick some ass.

Ahem. Anyway.

After all, Finn _has_ been incessantly practising army crawl and high five with Ernie for the last couple of days in hopes of trying to impress Rachel when she and her dogs arrive.

As soon as they got home from the vet the other day, Finn quickly went to the internet to research unusual tricks. He has never been happier that Ernie is one of the smartest breeds ever.

Ernie: 1

Rachel's dogs: 0

He actually wants to impress Rachel and wants her to see him and Ernie from a distance doing the tricks. He imagines her fawning over Ernie and laughing her pretty laugh again. He _really_ wants to hear her laugh.

The little 'competition' they have going on is actually kind of awesome. Finn has always been proud of Ernie and loves to show people how smart he is and can be.

They get there at 7am and wait by the parking lot at the centre of the beach, hoping to see Rachel arrive so they can find a nice spot for their dogs to run around.

Finn is by the trunk of his car, talking seriously with Ernie, explaining to him he has to be nice and a good boy because they _have_ to show Rachel how awesome he is. Ernie stares at Finn and when he says 'good boy' Finn _swears_ he actually nods his head. Finn is instantly impressed, and gasps, "Seriously, there's no way Rachel's dogs are smart as you, Ernie."

"Oh yeah, wanna bet?" her voices comes from behind him and Finn jumps a little. Again.

 _Why does she needs to do this? Oh man, is she a spy disguised as a kindergarten teacher like in 'Kindergarden Cop'?_

"Why do you do that _every_ time?"

She giggles and Finn smiles in return.

 _There it is, her pretty laugh._

"Hello, Finn. Good morning!" she says, standing with a basket on her left arm, and her right hand holding the leash for both of her dogs. Dogs that are trying to stare at his face but not being _too_ successful given how small they are and how much of a giant he is. He looks at them, and goddamn, they _are_ cute. He won't admit it, though. Yet.

"Hey, Rachel," he smiles at her. "Morning. Are these your dogs?" he asks, pointing to the two little cuties by her feet.

"No, I just stole them, actually. Chose the smartest dogs I could find," she answers seriously.

"Are you serious?" he asks, his face falling. "That's not fair to our competition!"

A laugh bursts through her face and rocks her body gently, and she shakes her head. "I'm kidding, silly! Loosen up. It's our fun morning at the beach."

Finn can't help but chuckle. He _does_ tends to be a bit more serious when meeting new people, it's nice to know she's being funny. It makes him act more naturally and be more comfortable.

"Alright then, smarty pants," he says, reaching into his trunk to pull Ernie out, putting him on the ground and grabbing his leash, moving towards the beach, Rachel and her dogs by his side. "Let's get going."

As soon as Ernie gets out of the trunk, he's immediately interested in Rachel's dogs, sniffing and trying to lick them, his way to show affection. Rachel's dogs are not timid and both sniff Ernie back, too. They start to circle each other, sniffing, licking and getting acquainted.

It's fucking cute and Finn grins, a big smile on his face.

Rachel laughs, "Okay, I think they already know each other enough. Let's go."

Finn nods and they start walking.

"I know a great spot that has a few trees, I think maybe we can stay there, what do you say?"

"Great. I brought some food, I hope you don't mind. I make Ernie's, and I always bring stuff for him, so it's easier."

"Oh, I don't mind at all. I brought some stuff, too. My dogs are addicted to carrots, if I leave the house for a couple of hours and don't bring them, they get impatient."

"That's awesome. Natural food is so much better than that industrialised crap, you know? I took courses on how to make food for dogs and I prepare all of Ernie's meals."

She nods, eyes searching for her spot. Finn mistakes her multitasking for disinterest and quickly says, "Wow, I'm boring you. Sorry, it's just that I work with food so it's kind of a big deal to me."

She grins and looks at him, "Not at all, I love to talk about food," she assures him. "And you're right. There are so many bad foods out there. I've heard horrible stories about dogs getting sick, it breaks my heart. I still give my dogs dog food, but my ultimate goal is to make it myself, like you do."

Rachel finds the tree and points to it and they head there, putting their stuff down. Finn reaches for his bag and Rachel goes for hers, both spreading blankets, one next to the other. Finn sits down, telling Ernie to sit, too. Rachel sits on her blanket, her dogs quickly lying down.

"So..." Finn says. "How do we do this?"

"Well, there aren't many people around yet. I usually let my dogs roam when there are dogs near and go play, they run around, splash in the water. Sometimes I throw balls, which is hilarious because when there are a few dogs around, they have to compete for the ball. So I've got..." she reaches into her basket and pulls out a plastic bag filled with tennis balls. "...this!"

Finn laughs and claps his hands, approving of her smartness, "That is so cool. Hey, people must really love you around here. I don't think I want to ask them which dog is cuter now," he ponders.

She looks at him seriously, whispering. "Are you scared?"

"No," he laughs, "I just don't want to do this anymore."

She giggles, "Whatever. I win by default then." She leans forward, petting both of her dogs and saying. "We won, you guys! Yay!" she says, reaching into her basket and pulling out two baby carrots, offering to her dogs and they take it right away.

She looks at him, a big smile on her face.

"Yeah, yeah. Whatever," he says dismissively, waving his fingers in her direction.

She looks at him and sticks her tongue out and he can't help but chuckle in response.

"What are their names?" Finn asks.

"Well, this one is Alfie," she points to the white and red corgi with a blue tag on his neck. "And this one is Bisou," she says, pointing to the also white and read corgi, but with a bright pink tag instead.

"Kiss, huh?"

"Yes. When I first got her, she wouldn't stop kissing my hands and face. I think it fits her, she's very affectionate."

Finn smiles, "That's cute."

"HA! You admit it then. My dogs are the cutest."

"No, wait a second," he protests, shaking his head. "I didn't say cut _est_ , I said cute."

"Eh, same thing! I'll take it either way," she says, her eyes sparkling.

He grins in response, making her beam harder. They stare at each other for a while until they hear people close to them, bringing in their dogs, too.

Rachel leans towards her dogs and takes their leash off. She gently pats them on their tiny butts and says, "Go, guys. Go!" Throwing a couple of balls as hard as she can and making them and a few other dogs run to catch them. Ernie gets up and gets excited, looking at Finn and asking for permission. Finn takes his leash off, too, reaching into Rachel's balls and throws them, making Ernie run as hard as he can.

Finn can't help the smile that stretches over his face, his dimples showing. He scrunches his nose and looks at Rachel with a peaceful and serene smile on his face.

"Thank you for this, Rachel. He seems really excited to play around," Finn says, then turns his head in Ernie's direction, observing Ernie running around and playing with other dogs.

"I'm glad to help," she says. "He can make a lot of friends here. Did he have friends where you guys used to live?"

"Yeah, he did. We lived with my brother and he would walk with him in the morning and nights and I used to take him to the dog park just down our street every afternoon for at least an hour."

"I understand. Change can be tough on them, right?"

"It really can. That's why I was taking him to see Dr. Yokas so much, he was having a really hard time moving here, but I think he's better now. We set up a routine so I think he feels safer."

"Routines are fantastic, I have no idea how I would maintain four pets and still have an unbroken home."

"I don't even know if I can take a single pet, much less four. Do you have a roommate?"

"No. But I do have a big backyard and plenty of trees, I guess that makes things easier, they have a lot of space to hang out when I'm not at home. They're really good at keeping themselves entertained."

"Yeah, that's nice." Finn leans back against the tree and stretches his arms above his head. "My backyard is decent, but I wish we had more space. Ernie never gets tired of running around and playing."

Rachel folds her legs under her body and reaches into her bag, pulling out some grapes. She puts them between them and silently offers Finn some. She says, "I can imagine. A dog so big like him must have plenty of energy."

"I think he's the most energetic dog I ever met," he says and reaches his left hand to get a couple of grapes, putting them in his mouth. "I love it, though. I like to run a few times a week and he's a great companion for that."

"That's so good for them, to exercise like that."

"Sure is."

The sit in silence for a while, watching their dogs and laughing at how happy they are to be with each other.

After a while, they get up to play with their dogs. Finn carrying his trustworthy frisbee and Rachel getting a few chewing toys she likes to throw at the water for them to retrieve.

Finn throws the frisbee around, making Ernie run and run and run and run until he starts to get thirsty, indicated by his tongue out of his mouth all the time.

Finn takes Ernie to their blanket, giving him water and pocketing a few treats.

This is the time to impress Rachel.

He looks seriously at Ernie, "Are you ready, buddy? This is our time, okay?"

Ernie stares back, barks once and humps around Finn, who gives him a treat for being so. damn. adorable.

When they get back, Rachel and her dogs are playing catch in the water. Finn stands close-ish to her, trying to be stealthy, throwing Ernie's frisbee far away and waiting for him to bring it back. Just after he returns, Finn takes the frisbee from Ernie's mouth and says in a firmer voice, "Good boy, Ernie. Gimme a high five!" he says, stretching his hand and waiting for Ernie.

Ernie obediently stands on his two back paws and promptly knocks his front paw against Finn's hands, making a few people around them clap and congratulate Ernie, who surely gets a few treats for being awesome.

Rachel was watching the whole thing and asks, "Are you trying to win over people's hearts?"

Finn throws the frisbee once again, shrugging his left shoulder and saying in a nonchalant voice, "I have no idea what you're talking about, Rachel."

Rachel laughs and promises, "Like you said the other day: it's _on_ , Finn."

She goes to her basket, grabs a few baby carrots and puts them in her pocket. Coming back, she calls Alfie and Bisou.

"Alfie! Bisou! Come here, babies," she calls them and they come back from the water, shaking their bodies, trying to remove the water.

"We're going to dry off, okay, guys? How about a little dance?" she asks, making the dogs jump with joy. "Annnnd... go!" she says, shaking her own body and turning around, making her dogs stand on their back paws and shake their little butts, in a move that Finn has got to admit, looks like _actual_ dancing.

 _Oh my god._

He stares at the three of them, his mouth open, hands hanging loose by his side, Ernie trying to give him the frisbee back and asking for his attention, but he can't stop watching. Rachel and her dogs are _actually dancing_ as she softly hums a tune for them.

They finish dancing and everyone claps and screams their names. Rachel and her dogs bow to the people around them. A bunch of shouts like 'Go, Rachel!', 'Alfie, rock that booty!', 'Shake it, Bisou!' come from the small crowd of people and Finn is left speechless.

Rachel looks at him with a satisfied smirk on her face, making him lift his arms in defeat.

He finally admits, "Your dogs are fucking awesome."

She giggles, throwing her arms up and letting out a high-pitched scream, "Yes! _That's_ what I wanted. Thank you, Finn!"

He laughs at her reaction, his stomach suddenly fluttering whilst he's looking at her. He's surprise that the pure happiness radiating off of her is reaching deep into his core, moving him and making him shiver at the reaction she got out of him.

 _So. This is new._

It's strange, too. It's been a while since he felt like this. But Finn decides to embrace it, whatever _it_ is.

Finn snaps out of his reverie, Ernie nudging his hand. He finally pays attention to his dog again and throws the frisbee away, making Ernie run for it.

~.~

After a few hours of their dogs playing around, Finn and Rachel decide to head to their respective homes. They call their dogs back and prepare to leave.

Ernie has other plans, though. When they get to Finn's car, Ernie, Alfie and Bisou wait and then when Finn turns his head for a split second, Ernie starts running towards the beach. Rachel is shocked, her grip on her dogs' leashes loosening, which makes them run after Ernie.

The three of them run back to the beach, crossing the parking lot and running as fast as they can possibly go.

Finn and Rachel look at each other, a desperate look on both of their faces. They drop their stuff and run after their dogs.

Ernie, Alfie and Bisou don't stop until they reach the water. They jump and swim and Finn and Rachel are hot on their heels, screaming their names and asking them to stop. They obviously don't care a tiny bit.

When they get near the water, Finn leans over, putting his hands on his knees, panting. His heart is beating so freaking fast.

 _Dammit, Ernie!_

Finn looks over at Rachel and she has her hands around her waist, trying to breathe at a normal pace. She's shaking her head and has the tip of her tongue on the side of her mouth. Finn looks at her and she looks incredibly attractive right now, all out of breath, her chest rising and falling and Finn wants to know what else makes her react this way.

What else makes her body flush.

He snaps out of it when she looks at him. She says, a hint of delight of her voice, "We have a gang on our hands, Finn! They totally planned this!"

Finn bursts out laughing. He looks at the water and sees Ernie swimming around, only his head over the water.

"You're right. Whatever we're gonna do with them?" Finn asks, his voice teasing her.

She smirks and fuck if it's not the sexiest thing Finn has seen in a _long_ time.

She goes over to his side and drops her voice, putting her hand around her mouth like she's sharing a big secret. "I suppose we'll have to join forces to surpass them." her eyes are mischievous and Finn can't stop staring at her, their eyes locked, an intense moment between them.

Alfie barks to get Rachel's attention and it works. Their gaze break and they turn their heads towards their dogs. Rachel is watching the three of them play around and she has a small smile tugging on her lips.

She looks at Finn and they share another smile, something that seems to be happening a lot. They're both happy that their dogs decided to get along and be friends.

Even if it's to turn against them.

~.~

Next Sunday, Finn and Rachel agree to meet up again. They're both sitting by the same tree and eating a fruit salad Finn brought for them whilst their dogs are running around and playing with each other.

"So, Finn, you mentioned last week that you make Ernie's food yourself?" he nods, reaching for a few slices of mango. "Why did you decide to do that?"

"Well, I'm actually a chef."

Rachel eyes go a bit wide and she whispers softly, so softly that Finn almost doesn't hear it, "Goodness."

He does catch her words and tries his very best to contain his smile. He clears his throat and keeps going, pretending to look around for Ernie. "Besides that, my brother's boyfriend is studying to be a veterinarian. We talked a lot before getting a dog and after extensive research I decided to make his food at home so it's more natural and without anything artificial, which is something that freaks me out," he says. "I make food for him to last a week. I put it inside his fridge, he has a smaller fridge it my house just for his food because I may have accidentally eaten his food once and um, no _freaking_ thanks," They share a laugh at his misshapen. "So then I give it to him, it's really not that hard once you get into it after you get the hang of it."

She nods her head, "I see."

He looks back at her, eyes open and sincere, "I think of it as preparing for when I have children, you know?"

She smiles at his words, "I understand. It sounds like you're going to be a good dad, Finn."

He blushes and smiles coyly at her, "I dunno, Rachel. But I do think about it a lot, so I certainly hope so."

"Well, how many children do you want to have?"

"Honestly, as many as my future wife want to give me," he chuckles, "I love children. Always have."

"Really?"

He nods, "Yeah. I even thought about being a teacher like you, but food took over my life and I couldn't say no to that, right? I mean, food is pretty awesome, too."

Rachel laughs, "I suppose it is."

"Do you want to have kids?" Finn asks.

Rachel doesn't waste a second, nodding furiously, "Oh yes! I do! I really, really do."

Finn grins at her eagerness, "How many?"

"A billion!" she laughs, "Just kidding. Maybe three or four."

"I think that's a good number. My mom has four kids and she loves it. Says it's the best number ever. She has this theory and everything."

"Seriously? How's that?"

"Okay, so this is what she says. One kid is, and I quote, 'sad' because they can get too lonely." Rachel gives him a funny look and he chuckles, "I know. Just wait, the best part is coming up."

She laughs and encourages, "Of course, go on."

"I know it sounds kind of weird, but it made sense after the fifth time she explained it to me. So, two kids, okay?" she nods. "Great number because the first one you can kind of mess up a bit, but the second one you already know what the deal is, you won't smother them as badly. Or like, go out to the grocery store and take three full bags filled with literally _everything_ they could possibly need."

She giggles, "Are you serious?"

He laughs, "I really am. My mom has actually done this. Multiple times, in fact."

She laughs again and gestures for him to keep talking, interested in his story.

"Okay, two kids so far. These two have to grow up sometime, right?"

"Right."

"And when they do grow up, you get the empty nest syndrome. Teenagers are also super embarrassed when it comes to their parents, so it's good to have more children that you can look after and take care and love when you're older and you can be a better parent because you're more mature and emotionally stable, being able to handle plenty of crisis without breaking down. So. You have one more and ta-da, best number ever!"

Rachel starts to smile, but then gives Finn a confused look, "But that's three, where and when is the fourth one?"

He grins at her, "That's the thing. My mom wanted just one more to spoil rotten, but the twins came instead. When she found out, she couldn't be happier, so she decided fourth is the best number. Just a little adjustment in her theory, see?"

She gives him a knowing smile, her eyes sparkling, which is something they seem to do a lot when he's around, " _Very_ wise."

He grins, "Yeah, she's pretty awesome."

Rachel smiles, thinking it's adorable how much he seems to love his mom.

"So," he says, "What about you? Do you have siblings?"

She shakes her head, "No. Actually, I'm an only child."

"Do you like it?"

"Mmm," she says, biting her lower lip. "I mean, it can be really lonely at times, particularly when you're a kid. But, thankfully, me and my dads – I have two – are so incredibly close, I feel so blessed to have them. They were the absolute perfect parents. They played with me ever since I can remember, took me to parks, encourage me to play with other kids at school and to make friends. They're amazing."

He smiles, "They do sound awesome."

"They really are. Their encouragement was what gave me a lot of strength to go through some hard stuff, you know?" she asks somehow cryptically, making Finn wonder what happened to her that required her to be strong.

They just started this friendship thing, but he figures if he opens up about his own struggles, she can do the same if she feels comfortable. He gets this strong feeling and he really wants to know her.

He wants to know everything about the Nice (and Pretty) Lady. It's still the name he calls her on his head sometimes. Because she is nice and she's obviously pretty.

"I understand," Finn says, "I feel the same with my mom. Although there was a time I felt really lost, even though she was always there. Fucking High School and all, you know?"

She smiles sadly at him, "I know."

"Even though I'm over everything these days. I mean, I'm 32 now. But still sucks to think about some stuff. I was so gullible and super easy to manipulate," he lowers his head, messing around with the grass close to his blanket. "I mean, put that together with me wanting to impress everyone and fit in and that's a recipe for disaster. I eventually grew up when I went to Toronto at 18, but learning and being an adult hurts." She gives him a sympathetic smile and he backtracks, feeling bad for the mood switch, "Sorry, I didn't mean to bring the mood down or anything—"

"It's okay, Finn. I don't mind," she reassures him, putting her hand on his arm and squeezing. "I like to get to know people and you're a very interesting soul. A gentle one. I would love to learn more about what made you the way you are," she gives him a coy smile, cheeks turning a soft shade of red. He stares at her, surprised (in a good way) by her honesty and interest. She wants to divert her stare, embarrassed by what she just said, fearing she was too straight forward, but she can't. His eyes are soft and honest and she can't look away. It's like they're sucking her in.

After a few moments, Finn feels his cheeks warm, but doesn't stop looking at her. He smiles softly and covers her hand, still on his arm, and squeezes back.

~.~

The next week goes by in a flash, mostly because Finn set up to meet Rachel the next Sunday and they've been texting back and forth all week.

After their brief, but meaningful, sweet moment and "stare game" (as Kurt calls it because Finn has the power to lock his gaze with someone for a long time), Finn feels like this friendship could go somewhere exciting. Rachel's kind of super fucking awesome. In fact, he's certain she is. He has been talking to her during the week and she always finds a way to make him smile, whether it's a video of her dogs doing something cute, like chasing leafs of lettuce on her backyard on a particular windy afternoon or making a joke about how much of a 'big boy' Ernie is turning when he sent her a picture of him in a dog tie after a bath.

It's incredible because no matter what she always finds a way to put a smile on his face every time he talks to her. He likes that. And her.

He likes her a lot.

~.~

"Why did you move back home?"

Finn scrunches his nose in thought, "I never truly wanted to leave, to be honest, but… I got a scholarship to a really good culinary school in Toronto, which ended up being amazing, giving me the opportunity to work in France for four years."

"Wow, that's amazing, Finn. Congratulations."

"Merci, mademoiselle," Finn says, making Rachel giggle.

"Anyway, I moved to Toronto when I was 18. Then went to France when I was 22, not too bad, right?"

"Gosh, not at all, that sounds fabulous." Rachel leans against her crossed legs, supporting her elbow on her knee and leaning closer to hear his story.

"It was. I stayed there then came back six years ago. I never actually wanted to open my own restaurant when I first went to Toronto, but after staying in France and seeing the instability of being a chef without a restaurant of their own, I decided to save money to open my own someday. This industry is plain _cruel,_ " he explains. "If there's a better chef, or so they think, they have no qualms in throwing your ass on the street, so I decided to get smart," he shares, picking up a few other slices of kiwi. "Let me know if I'm boring you with my story."

She grins, "Don't worry, I'm loving it. It's a great way to know each other."

"It is. You have to tell me your story afterwards then, yeah?"

"Absolutely."

"Good!" he smiles at her, "So anyhow. When I came back to Canada, I was so excited and energetic, my head filled with ideas for a restaurant. I first wanted to come back to Vancouver already, but my best friend Tina and I talked a lot and decided to open the restaurant in Toronto because of the chances of succeeding there."

"Very smart, Finn."

He smiles at her comment, shooting her a thankful smile, "I was in France for the culinary experience so the only things I did there was to work and sleep, making me save all the money I could. I travelled a bit, but things are not so expensive there when you learn the tricks, so I managed to save a good amount."

He reaches for a water bottle, taking a drink and keeps on talking, "So when I came back, Tina and I talked. She's a nutritionist with a minor in business so that helped a whole lot. We put our money together, bought a building, re-stored it, hired people and opened our restaurant."

"That's amazing."

"It was not like a huge deal or anything, it was a midscale restaurant, but we always loved every single second of it. We're best friends and make good partners, I couldn't haven chosen a better person to start a business."

"That's so great. For both of you," he agrees with his head. "So why did you move back here?"

"Hmm–" he pursues his lips, thinking about her question.

Suddenly she's all flushed, mistaking his pause for discomfort. "Oh, I'm sorry. That was too personal. We're not in that level yet, sorry!"

Finn decides to tease her for her comment and agitation, "Oh? What level are we then?"

Rachel blushes, giving him a pointed look. She mutters, "Finn."

He's holding back a smirk and trying to sound innocent, "What, Rach?"

He does that sometimes. Calls her 'Rach' like they're the most intimate people in the world. He did that a few times during the week, calling her 'Rach' and it makes butterflies take the entire space of her stomach. She never had a real nickname before and it sounds wonderful to hear that word coming out of his mouth, with his constant raspy voice. She tries to contain (or disguise) her shudder, putting her hands on her face and shaking her head.

"Anyway!" she insists, trying to change the subject.

Finn grins. Oh, he got her good, "It's okay, you can ask personal stuff. I mean, we're getting close, right?" Her eyes widen at the implication of his words.

Rachel looks at his face, open and sincere, and can't help but smile. She licks her lips, Finn's eyes following the tip of her tongue. "Yes, that we are," she says, grinning at him.

Their eyes stay locked for a while and then Finn remembers her question.

"So, anyhow, it's not even that or anything. Personal, I mean. Well, maybe a little, but it's nothing _too_ personal or something," he tries to explain, failing miserably. He decides to just go for it, "I was just tired of being away from my family. Particularly my baby brother and sister. They were born the year I came back from France, I didn't exactly was a good brother, or son for that matter, for a long time. Even though my mom doesn't agree. But I really was because I didn't come home as often as I should. Because of the restaurant and everything, I didn't exactly had money to fly a lot back and forth, and I suck at accepting money, even if it's from my parents. I came home about six to eight times a year, but it still sucked. Living back in Canada should have made things easier, but it wasn't exactly like that. And, I mean, even in Toronto I still wasn't home, you know?"

She nods, encouraging him to continue.

"So Tina and I talked for months about it and she, and her husband, agreed to move to Vancouver. We were only waiting for Mike, that's her husband, to find a job here and that happened two months ago. We sold our restaurant and bought a building here, reformed it and here we are. We're opening in a few weeks."

She gives him a smile, "I'm happy for you that everything worked out."

"Thanks, Rach," he grins in return, "So," Finn says, "Your turn now."

"Okay! What do you want to know?" Rachel asks.

Finn doesn't miss a beat, giving her one word that carries a very intense feeling, "Everything."

She beams at his fast answer, "Everything?" she asks, raising her eyebrow, challenging him.

"Yep," he doesn't back down. "I mean, we don't really have time for everything right now, that'll come with time, right?" he asks, making her cock her head to the side and stare at him harder. "So, for now, just the basics will suffice," he winks, making her – and himself, really – blush at his forwardness. Finn's actually not used to being this forward, but he can't help himself around Rachel.

"Mm, let's see," she starts, still smiling, "I was born in Seattle, actually. My dads met because my Daddy, Hiram, the Canadian one, was in Seattle on a conference and my Papa, Leroy, lived there. My Daddy went to a restaurant one day alone for dinner and my Papa was there with a few friends. Papa felt bad for Daddy sitting by himself, called him over and the instantly got along. Daddy move to Seattle. A few years, and a surrogate later, I was born. Ta-da!" she says, stretching her arms, sing-songing the last part.

Finn laughs at her cuteness.

 _Fuck, she's so cute._

"They started to resent Seattle after a while, though," she says.

"Really? Why?" Finn asks, interested in her story.

"Just the amount of bigots they encountered in their neighbourhood. Daddy convinced Papa to go to Canada, so when I was three they moved to Vancouver and I've been here ever since," he nods. "High School sucked a lot, I never made a single friend. I have to agree with what you said the other day: effying High School."

Finn feels bad for her, but decided to take away the focus from her sad memories because he's amused at her lack of cursing, "You mean 'fucking'?"

She scolds at him softly, "Language, Finn. You know I don't care for cursing." Secretly, though, she gets a little bit excited at his cursing. It's kind of… _hot_. She's not used to finding cursing hot.

He laughs at her being all proper and she shakes her head at his behaviour.

Finn does know Rachel doesn't like it, actually. One particular day during the week Finn was making a video of Ernie running around the living room and he hit his toe against the corner of the couch and screaming quite a few 'dirty words' as she later called them, after Finn calmed down and they talked about it for a while.

"Anyway! People taunted me for the smallest things, from my handwriting to my weight to my height to my nose to my mouth. High schoolers are the worst. I always knew I wanted to teach, but didn't decide Elementary School until I was a junior. I don't want to encounter high schoolers in a professional ever again."

"I'm sorry, Rach. They were a bunch of idiots, they had no idea what they were missing on not being friends with you," he reaches for her hand and gives it a soft squeeze. She reciprocates the gesture, giving him a small smile.

"Thank you," she whispers. "Things got better, though, I went to UBC and also got my Master's there. Teaching at Kerrisdale Elementary School is love to me. My students are the best. I want to get my PhD as soon as possible. With Nina sick I can't really handle that plus my duties as a teacher and then study and research. I want to do it in the future, though."

"That's awesome. How's Nina doing? Hopefully better?"

Rachel gives Finn a sad smile, but says in a hopeful voice, "She is better, thank you for asking. This week we didn't have to go see Dr. Yokas once. And she is eating by herself, which makes me so excited for the future. I've been researching a lot and talking to Dr. Yokas about it and some cats live until they are like, 20 years old. So she can still get better. We're trying literally everything."

"I hope she gets better and gets to live a long and healthy life, Rach."

"Thank you, Finn. You're so kind."

"I know Alfie and Bisou are doing good, what about your other cat… Charcoal?"

Rachel giggles at Finn mistaking her cat's name, "It's Shadow, Finn. And he's fine, my little trouble maker." Finn gives her a knowing smile, leading her to think he got the name wrong to make her smile.

"Oh, right, sorry," he says, winking at her.

She blushes under his stare, "Charcoal would be a cute name, though. I'm going to keep that in mind for future use."

He let's out a laugh, "That's a great idea, Rach. I support your decision."

She beams at him, scrunching her nose.

~.~

The next two Sundays, Finn, Ernie, Rachel, Alfie and Bisou meet and spend the morning together at Spanish Banks. Finn and Rachel talk the entire time, whilst the dogs, particularly Ernie, makes many doggie friends, much to Finn's joy.

They get closer and closer every time they meet. Texting during the week helps, too. The conversation, as well as the flirting, is easy. Finn thinks about a definitive move, but doesn't know what the right time would be because even though the flirting is easy and fun, sometimes Rachel will cut it short and change the subject.

Like, a few times he tried to lean a little bit closer and try to touch her in a more intimate way, and she would always put her hand on his arm and squeeze it, turning her face and changing the subject.

He's confused. It's obvious to him that he is acting in a way to show her he is interested in being more than friends and at times he feels like she shares his feelings and they are on the same page. But then all of a sudden… they're not.

Finn doesn't want to be one of those asshole who pushes women to do something they don't want to do, but the genuine connection he feels with Rachel and their glances at one another are so precious to him, he doesn't ever remember feeling this way about someone and he wants to take a chance on her. On them. Maybe it could be great and fucking epic or something. Obviously it could suck, but he is really trying to think positively about this.

He decides to invite Rachel to his restaurant opening next week as they are packing their things and heading to their cars. He tries to make it clear she was the only person besides his friends and family he would invite.

"All of us are allowed to bring a special guest, and I want you to be mine," he says in a soft voice.

Rachel's eyes widen, her bags slipping off of her hands. She's speechless, quickly agreeing and making him believe she knows this is… well, not exactly a date, but a pre-date. Mmm, more like a special occasion just so they can get comfortable with the idea of a formal date.

He tries to be positive, but he has a feeling his idea will blow up in his face.

 _Sigh. Here's hoping._

~.~

The day of the opening of the restaurant Finn is nervous and restless the entire day. He spends the morning doing prep work and getting his staff ready, triple checking every single thing and detail, just like he learnt many years ago.

He tries to make everything perfect, he wants everyone invited to have the best dining experience of their lives. He has been working on the launch menu for a long time and after meeting Rachel he sneaked a few of her favourite things into the menu, hoping to please her.

It's 5pm before Finn knows it and he feels ready, but at the same time not really ready. But he's kind of ready. And then not really.

He eventually decides to just go for it.

~.~

The launch has been going awesome, his family and friends arrived not to long after 6pm and the atmosphere is amazing. He knows he can start making dinner as soon as he wants, but he wants Rachel to get to know people before sitting down to eat.

Just as he's thinking about her, he looks at the door and there she is. With her pretty hair cascading down her shoulders, in a dark blue fit and flare dress that takes his breath away.

Finn goes over to her, giving her a hug and inhaling her familiar scent, closing his eyes for a moment and taking it all in.

"Hey, Rach," he says against her neck.

She smiles at him, "Hi, Finn."

He smiles back, and gestures to her outfit, "You look… wow, _stunning_."

Rachel blushes and lowers her head, biting her lower lip and then looking up at him, eyes shining, "Thank you."

They keep smiling at each other and completely forget their surroundings. Finn feels like he could stare into her eyes forever. And he feels it is a completely possible thing to if it wasn't for Santana calling his name.

Finn looks over his shoulder and notices Santana and Quinn approaching him and Rachel. He makes a face and then quickly turns to Rachel and says, "I'm sorry for what's about to happen, Rach."

She gives him a questioning look, but he just waves his hands in the air as the married couple approaches them.

"Hey, Finnocence. Is this the famous Rachel?" Santana asks not subtly at all, for which Quinn gives her a nudge on the stomach with her elbow, making Santana mouth 'What?' to her wife.

Rachel laughs nervously, once again lowering her head to hide her embarrassment. Finn gives Santana a dirty look. She just shrugs like it's no big deal. Might as well adjust to Finn's friend right now anyway.

Quinn tries to save the major gaffe her wife just committed. "Don't mind my wife, she's as well behaved as a bull in a china shop." Rachel laughs at looks at Quinn, and extends her hand to shake Quinn's waiting one.

She shakes Quinn's hand and says, "I'm Rachel. Glad to meet you, Quinn."

"Nice to meet you, Rachel. I'm Quinn and this is my delicate wife, Santana."

Finn watched the exchange with a smile on his face and sends Quinn a thankful look, receiving a wink in response. She did always have his back when it comes to women.

"Pleasure, Rachel!" Santana exclaims, reaching out her hand and shaking Rachel's. "Damn, you are hot as fire. Finn has some taste."

Rachel blushes at Santana's bluntness and says, "Nice to meet you, too, Satan. Wait, I mean Santana."

Finn chuckles at Rachel's subtle dig, making Santana give him a weird look, with Finn mouthing to her 'Screw you.'

Finn looks at Rachel and gives her a knowing look, making her giggle in response. Quinn feels like she and Santana are intruding an intimate moment, so she puts her hand on Santana's back and says, "We'll talk more later, we have to check on Tina and Mike."

Finn and Rachel keep looking at each other, and don't even notice they're gone.

~.~

As the night goes on, Finn introduces Rachel to his parents and siblings, including Kurt, who flew in from Toronto with Adam just to be at Finn's restaurant opening.

Not surprisingly, she gets along swimmingly with Nathan and Hannah, who fall in love right back at her. Particularly because she tells stories about her pets with funny voices, faces and gestures. The twins won't stop giggling and keep asking when is the next time they can go to Spanish Banks beach with Finn to meet Alfie and Bisou. Finn is thrilled, of course. He can't wait to make Rachel see him in action with his siblings, hoping she'll like him better after seeing how he is with them.

A while later, Finn goes back to the kitchen to finish setting up dinner, leaving Rachel safely sitting down with Tina and Quinn, since Santana and Mike are currently in the kitchen annoying him about Rachel.

"So, Finn. Tell us more about you and Rachel, have you close the deal yet?" Santana asks, with Mike smiling behind him, "She seems shy, but those are the freakiest ones, I would know."

Finn huffs as he's cooking and says, "Not now, San. Stop being a jerk."

Santana tries to defend herself, "What? I was just asking!"

Finn glares at her, "Well, _don't_. This is neither the time nor place."

Santana huffs and relents, "Fine. But I want to know all the details later! I can even give you a few hints that will make her crazy." she winks at Finn, slowly backing down from the kitchen, Mike laughing right behind her.

Finn scoffs again and goes back to his cooking.

~.~

As the first course is being served by the waiting staff, Finn goes to the main floor and presents his food.

"Hey, guys," he says, and receives a round of applause. He puts his hands up and says, "Thank you. Thank you so much."

The cheering gets louder, with Santana leading, and Finn bows, getting emotional and so thankful this day is finally here. He can't believe he reached his professional dream and it's in his hometown, too. This is what he has been working towards all these years and being away from his family has finally paid off.

He looks over and Rachel has a big smile and a tearful gaze directed at him. He tries to give her a discreet questioning look and she mouths to him, "I'm so happy for you." He shoots her a thankful smile and goes back to talking to everyone.

"Thank you, you guys are awesome," he says as people calm down. "So," he goes on, "thank you for being here and being supportive of my dream to open a restaurant in my hometown. I am so thankful for each and every one of you."

People start clapping again and Finn laughs, so undeniably happy.

"We're going to have a four course meal tonight," Finn starts.

Santana can't contain her excitement and shouts, "Wooo!"

"Settle down, San," Finn says, making everyone laugh. "Well, you guys know that my cooking is from all over, but mostly France and South America since my mom always loved and cooked food from there given that both her parents were Brazilian. So we have a mixed menu that I hope you guys are going to approve." He rubs his hands together and continues, "The first course you guys are going to hopefully enjoy is cabbage soup with smoked bacon, fennel and white beans. Then we have a niçoise salad, to remember my years working in France. Afterwards we're going to have a Brazilian sirloin with potato purée with Madeira sauce reduction. To finish it off we are going to have, to Santana and the twins' delight, two desserts."

Nathan and Hannah scream and clap together, "Yay, Finny! You're the best big brother ever!"

Santana doesn't disappoint and goes, "Best night ever!"

Quinn jokingly gives her a dirty look, but she just leans and kisses her shoulder and neck to apologise.

Everyone laughs and Finn keeps going, "So anyway, one is the classic Brazilian sweet brigadeiro and we're also going to have another classic: crème brûlée. Because this is 'go big or go home', right?" he asks and everyone claps again. "Okay, I'm going to go back inside, but I'll see you guys after. Have a nice evening and a good meal!"

"Brigadeiro, yay!" The twins shout together, making Finn scrunch his face on how adorable his brother and sister are.

Finn then goes back to the kitchen and works on giving the best meal of his life. He has his friends and family over, but also a few food critics that could really make or break this opening. He's been working so hard ever since he found his passion for food that he tries to channel his entire journey into this meal. And he really hopes it works out.

~.~

The dinner, and therefore the opening, ends up being a success. Finn's family and friends absolutely love it. Kurt tells Finn afterwards that the critics seemed happy, too. Everything is great and he couldn't be happier.

I mean, it can always get better. He could have Rachel in his arms, snuggling the night away. But he's not expecting to end up being that intimate with her in a single night. A kiss wouldn't hurt, though.

After most people leave, Finn, Rachel, Kurt, Adam, Tina, and Mike stay behind and end up talking and getting to know each other better.

Soon enough, Tina and Mike leave, silently gesturing to Finn how much they liked and approved Rachel. Kurt and Adam are next, leaving Rachel alone with Finn.

They talk easily, like they always do. As the night goes on their flirting seems to get stronger and more intense, with touching hands and knees and arms and hair getting more insistent and present.

Finn slides a little bit closer to Rachel, which makes her look up at him with wide and bright eyes. She interrupts her story about something Shadow did a few days ago to stare at his face and lock eyes with him. She goes on and Finn puts his hands on her knee and lightly moves his thumb against it.

Rachel's breath catches in her throat and she focuses all of her attention on Finn's hand.

"Rach..." Finn whispers.

She looks up at him again and he goes in for the kill.

As he's lowering his face against hers, she suddenly gets ups, breaking the spell and nervously pacing around.

"Rach…?"

"I need to go," she says, not looking at him. She's looking anywhere but him, really. And he feels a pain deep within his chest because the Rachel he knows is not one to avoid or break eye contact.

"What—?"

She's nervous and jumpy and talking really fast, Finn doesn't know what's happening. "Bisou and Alfie are probably hungry right now, their dog sitter went home a few hours ago and they're probably upset and hungry and nervous… Shadow and Nina, too!" Finn holds his hand up, trying to make her stop talking so he can say something, but she's having none of it. "So yeah, I'm going to go and we'll talk more later, okay, Finn?" she asks, walking towards the door of the restaurant and away from him and the couch they were sharing. "Thanks for tonight, Finn. The food was lovely and I re—"

"Rachel, wait, I'll drive you," Finn tries to say, standing up and holding his hand out for her.

"It's okay, I'll just take a cab and we'll talk later, okay? Bye, Finn!" she says, disappearing through the door and leaving a very confused and bewildered Finn behind.

~.~

Later the same night, or dawn by the current time, because he just _couldn't_ sleep, Finn is sitting on his couch with Ernie when he decides to go for it. He texts Rachel because he can't take this anymore. He decides to be bluntly honest because what the fuck is even happening?

 **Rach, are you up?**

Her answer doesn't take long.

 **Hi, Finn. Yes, I am!**

 **Good. Can I ask you something?**

 **Of course! :)**

 **Why didn't anything happen between us tonight?**

He stands up in his living room, nervously looking at his phone, waiting for her response.

 **Pardon me?**

He doesn't get why she's playing dumb, but it's fine. He's just going to go for it because he literally has nothing to lose. Losing her friendship would certainly suck, of course… but he has to make her see and understand his feelings and intentions.

 **I like you, Rachel. I like you a lot. I thought my intentions were pretty clear.**

 **Oh gosh, I'm so sorry, I didn't know.**

 _What_ _? What is she even talking about?_

 **What? How come? I tried to put myself out there as much as one could possible do it. I flirt with you every time we see each other. I don't get how you can be confused. I mean, you flirt back. I don't get it. Do you not like me back? Do you only see me as a friend?**

 **I'm truly sorry, Finn. I don't really know what to say…**

 **What is it? You can tell me.**

 **Men don't just like me.**

He's kind of irritated, but softens immediately at her confession. He needs to hear her voice and make her listen to him, too. He has some stuff to say.

 **Can I call you?**

 **Yes.**

She answers after only a single ring.

"Rachel, what are you talking about? What's happening?" he asks through the phone line.

She takes a deep breath and he knows something big is coming.

"Finn, you're wonderful," she starts, making Finn even more confused. "And patient. And kind. And handsome. So handsome." she lets out a dreamy sigh, which makes Finn smile. "You treat Ernie with so much love and care, I've never seen anything like it. And you're a chef, for crying out loud! You're pretty much a perfect specimen. And I'm just... Rachel. There's nothing special about me, really. You're one hundred light years out of my pathetic little league."

"Rachel..." he scoffs. "You can't possibly be serious."

"Well, I am," she tries to be firm, but her faltering voice betrays her. "This is the truth, it really is. Men like you are certainly not interested in women like me."

"Men like me?"

"Yes. Successful, devastatingly handsome, independent, tall..."

"Tall?" he chuckles.

"Do not laugh at me, Finn Hudson."

He sobers up immediately, his voice firm, "I'm not, I promise."

The line is silent for a while.

"Rachel, do you like me?" he asks.

"Mmm… I…" she mumbles.

He clarifies before she can go further, "More than a friend, I mean."

The line is quiet for a moment. He knows she's thinking and he doesn't want to push her so he waits. They have been friends for a while now and he knows sometimes she needs time to deal with things.

When she answers, her voice is small and vulnerable, "I do. I really, _really_ do."

Finn inhales, exhales and decides to go all in.

"Then you're being silly with this, Rachel," he pushes. "You're amazing. You're the most amazing woman I have ever met. You're beautiful, generous, breathtaking, and radiant. And I like you. I honestly do. And I want to be more than friends, but you have got to believe me when I say these things. Let your insecurities go, kick them away, and _focus on me and now_."

He can hear her breathing hard on the other side of the line so he asks the question he's been wondering all night, "Do you want to be with me?"

She doesn't hesitate, saying in a barely audible voice, "Yes."

"Then let me take you out tomorrow night. On a date. A romantic date. A romantic date with plenty of second intentions. I don't want to be just friends anymore. I want more. A romantic relationship. Is that clear enough now?"

She laughs, "Oh, Finn." She takes a deep breath, making him hold his one. After a moment she says, "I would love that."

Finn grins, "Great! Then it's a date."

~.~

They're walking around, after a great dinner downtown and the mood is quiet and solemn, which is weird because conversation was flowing easily until they started walking outside the restaurant.

"Rach?"

"Mm?"

"Why are you so quiet? I thought we were on the same page on this?"

She looks up at him, biting her lower lip. It seems she goes to say something, but then she stops, looking down at her feet.

"Rachel?"

She looks at him again. "Finn..." she whispers, "I'm scared."

"Why? What are you afraid of?"

She lets out a breath that Finn feels like she has been holding it for a very long time, and says, "Of you realising there's a more interesting and pretty woman out there for you, leaving me high and dry, heartbroken."

She immediately looks down again, seemingly ashamed of what she just said.

"Rachel," Finn says as they come to a halt. Finn stretching his hands and holding her tiny ones between them, "You have to believe me when I say I would never do that to you."

She avoids his eyes, "You're just saying that..."

He shakes his head, "I'm not."

He takes a deep breath, "Listen, Rachel, I'm going to be completely honest with you, okay?"

She looks up at him. After trying to read his eyes and not being able to, she nods her head.

"Rachel, I promise you. I have never met a more alluring and exciting women in my life before. You're just... you're _everything_ , Rachel." She gasps at his words. She was not expecting this at all. He goes on. "You're so stunning and everything seems to be attracted by some sort of gravity field that exists deep inside of you, down to your beautiful core. It pulls everything to be around you, including me. After I met you, my life has become _so much_ better. My smile if more honest when you're around, I breathe better when you're near me. You make everything in the world better, how can't you see that?"

She has tears in her eyes by now, trying to hold them in by biting her lower lips.

"Take a chance on me. On us. I promise, Rach, it will be worth it."

She throws herself onto him, hugging him tightly. They stay quiet for a few moments, Finn rubbing his always warm hands on her back and making her relax against him.

She detangles herself from his arms, curves her tiny fingers against his shoulders and says, "I believe you, Finn. It's hard for me, but I do. I truly do."

He reaches for her face, long fingers holding her head and caressing her cheeks. He softly pulls her body against his, giving her plenty of time to back down.

"Then let's do this. Stop over thinking and let's do what feels right for both of us. Together."

She answers quietly, "Let's do this."

Bringing his lips to hers, he delicately touches her upper lip with his bottom lip, kissing her gently. She pushes her lips against his and lets go of his shoulders to bring her tiny fingers to his hair, gripping it smoothly and pushing her body against his, opening her mouth and letting his tongue caress hers in a slow and steady way that makes her shiver.

Finn later decides their first kiss is the Superman of all the first kisses around the world. It just is. Nothing could ever top it.

* * *

 **AN: Thank you for reading. :)**

 **For those who don't know, brigadeiro is the very best thing made out of chocolate and I recommend it asap. Just google "brigadeiro brazilian candy recipe" and you will be a happier person, I assure you. :D**


	2. bareboned and crazy

**Hey, everyone :) Thank you so much for the lovely reviews and the beautiful comments about my baby girl. I am happy to report she is doing much better, yay!**

 **I made a tumblr account to post pictures of my stories. It mostly consists in pictures of the houses and how I imagined them. If you want to check it out, just go to freewithme dot tumblr dot com. As I said on my blog, the housing market in Vancouver is unreal, so what are we going to do? That's right! We are going to pretend my lovely city is reasonable! Because I really want the characters to have a comfortable life. If you guys want, I can also post pictures of how I imagine Finn and Rachel in each story. I can also post pictures of my original characters (Hannah and Nathan from this story, and Matthew from 'Quiet Nights of Quiet Stars')... anyway, just let know! You guys can comment here or send me a message on tumblr and I'll gladly respond! I have pictures of Ernie and Nina already, but I'm waiting for their relationship to develop more before posting them. Unless you guys want to see before that. In any case, let me know! Sorry for this long ass author's note lol.**

 **Just one more thing: BEIJOS PRO POVO DO BRASIL!**

* * *

 _Touch your lips just so I know_  
 _In your eyes, love, it glows so_  
 _I'm bareboned and crazy... for you_

 _(Crash Into Me - Dave Matthews Band)_

* * *

 **Chapter 02**

~.~

Okay, so he was kind of wrong about nothing ever topping that kiss.

Finn and Rachel are at his restaurant after everyone already left and they're both alone in the kitchen. He's standing between her legs, lightly running his hands on her smooth legs, over her soft skin as she whimpers against his mouth.

"Finn…"

He smiles against her mouth and takes his mouth to her neck, tongue out of his mouth dragging it across her skin and making her shiver and pull him closer, legs closing around his body. Her right hand is holding on to his hair and her left hand is against his jaws, nails scraping against his skin, which makes _him_ shiver and pull her towards him.

He figured she likes to do that. Run her nails lightly across his cheek and jaw and it's the best fucking feeling in the world. Sure, their first kiss was amazing, but this is… Rachel _really_ knows what to do in the kissing department. He never felt a kiss run its energy through his entire body before, and he's so, so glad he feels that with her. She really is _everything_.

He continues on kissing her neck, mouth moving towards her ear and whispers against it, "You make me feel so good, Rach…"

She whimpers again, taking his head and bringing his mouth to hers, unable to go another second without his delicious tongue against hers.

Finn takes his hands off her legs and brings them to her back, pushing her hips against him, making her feel how much he wants her and how much she moves his body.

She stops their kissing, looks down at their joined bodies and inhales hard. Finn looks at her face, searching for any signs of distress.

"Is everything okay? What's wrong?"

She looks up at him and smiles. The prettiest smile he recently learnt is just for him.

"Nothing is wrong, I just—"

"What?"

She lets out a small laugh, "This is going so fast… I just can't help myself when I'm around you."

Finn smirks and cocks his head to the side. He says in a voice that Rachel can only described as 'dripped in hot chocolate', "Well, then… we should keep it up… right?" he asks, raising one eyebrown.

Rachel giggles at his response and cockiness, "Not like this. I want an actual bed when it happens."

"Oh, we actually have a mattress in the back, you know? It's for w—"

She smacks her hand against his chest and laughs, "Not what I meant!"

He kisses the tip of her nose and whispers, "I know, babe. I want a bed, too."

She beams at him and reaches forward to kiss his lips again. She then looks at him through her eyelashes and says in a quiet voice, "That doesn't mean I can't help you in other ways…"

His raises his eyebrows and gets impossibly closer to her, "Yeah?" he mutters against her mouth.

She nods and kisses him again, biting his bottom lip as her hands slide against his chest. Her nails then graze against the front of his pants and he hisses under her touch.

 _These fucking nails…_

She swiftly opens his flies and… yeah. There are some stuff that could definitely top their first kiss. Doesn't mean it wasn't special, though.

~.~

On their fifth date, Finn invites Rachel to his house so he can cook them dinner. The entire time they're eating their meal, Ernie makes sure to stand by the table, looking up at the shrimp risotto with big puppy eyes and a wagging tail that makes Rachel goes "Awww", sticking her bottom lip out, giving Finn a pleading look.

"Come on, Finn," she says, eyes asking him to give in, "Give him some."

Finn chuckles at her look, "I can't, babe. He'll get sick," he says, making Rachel sigh. "Besides, I work my ass off to cook him the best dog food in Southwest Canada. No, all of Canada! North America! And he just wants to eat human food? For shame, Ernie!" Finn says, pointing his index finger at Ernie's face. Ernie tilts his head in return.

"Fine, fine," Rachel relents. "I understand what you mean." Finn gives her a thankful look. "But!" she goes on, making Finn roll his eyes. "I do feel bad for him... I mean, he's just standing here looking at us... And he does look hungry..."

"Sweetheart, how would you know if he looks hungry?"

"Well… mmm… his face! _Aha_! Yes! His face is _telling_ me he's hungry!"

"Rach, dogs' faces are practically emotionless." Finn says flatly.

She gasps at his words, "That is not accurate! They do so express emotions and feelings!"

"Yeah?" Finn teases, "How so?"

She explains the obvious, "Through their eyes!"

Finn gives her an exasperated look. She doesn't back down and keeps looking at him, eyes wide and raised eyebrow defying him.

"Fine," Finn says, getting up from his seat. "His bowl is still pretty full, but I'll just put him in the backyard with plenty of food, satisfied?"

"Yes, I am!" Rachel says, giving him a cheeky smile.

Finn shakes his head, an amused look on his face. He walks over to Ernie's fridge and picks up a meal for him. Setting the microwave for a few minutes, he waits by the microwave as Ernie sniffs and presses his snout against Rachel's leg, making her giggle.

"Stop it, Ernie," Finn warns him. "Come here, boy." He picks up a treat from inside of one of his shelves and Ernie comes eagerly, wagging his tail and opening his mouth. He gets the treat and sits down by Finn's feet. Rachel looks at the scene giving Finn a loving look. He gives her a dimpled grin and her smiles seem to grow impossibly bigger.

The microwave beeps and Finn grabs one of Ernie's bowls, whistling for Ernie to go with him to the backyard, where Finn promptly puts the bowl down and rushes back inside, leaving what actually does seem to be a hungry dog eating away his food.

And Finn sits down, he asks, "Happy?"

Rachel leans into him and gives him a quick peck, "Very happy."

~.~

It's after dinner and Finn and Rachel are making out on his couch, she's lying between his legs, nails grazing against his scalp as his hands greedily squeeze her hips. He detaches his mouth from hers, distributing kisses all over her face as she sighs softly against him, a peaceful smile on her face. Rachel's fingers tighten over the hair on the back of his head at his gentle kisses. He keeps going, licking her neck and sucking on it, making her hips involuntarily rub against his body as Finn's hands squeeze her hips, fingertips ghosting inside her blouse, making her shiver. He finds a particular spot on Rachel's neck that makes her whimper, legs tangling with his and her hips moves forward, desperately needing friction.

"Finn…"

He kisses his way to her left ear and murmurs, "Tell me what you want, Rach."

" _You_ ," she whimpers against his neck, kissing a tiny freckle on the juncture of his neck and shoulder.

Finn pulls back his head, eyes dilated. His mouth is open, lips swollen and Rachel swears she's never seen a more beautiful man in her entire life. She gives him a small smile.

"Yeah?" he whispers against her mouth, looking straight into her dark chocolate eyes.

" _Please_ , _Finn_ …" Rachel begs him, panting against his lips.

Not one to ever ignore such a sexy request, Finn catches her lips and gives her a deep kiss that makes both of them breathless with its intensity. He then stands up slowly and offers her his hand, which she gladly takes.

As they're entering his bedroom, the sexual tension increases tenfold. Rachel clings to Finn's hand, blindly following him. Finn stops, turning towards Rachel. He drags his thumb from Rachel's jaw to her collarbone as she opens her mouth to him in an inviting kiss.

The stand like that for a while, just kissing. Rachel's hands cling to Finn's back as Finn tangles his hands in her hair, his right hand then travelling to her face and rubbing her soft cheeks. They make sure to take their time since both have been waiting for this for a while.

Rachel pushes Finn's pouty lips off of her, walking backwards and giving Finn a sexy smirk. As she moves closer to the bed, she cocks her index finger at him, making him lick his lips at this seductive goddess in front of him.

His breathing gets heavier as he watches her slip off the knot holding her blouse together. As it slips over her arms, she stretches them, throwing her piece of clothing by his feet, standing then in front of him in a black bra and jeans. Finn crouches and grabs it, never leaving his eyes part ways with Rachel's. He buries his fingers through the soft fabric and brings it to his nose, inhaling her sweet perfume and closing his eyes. It smells fantastic, just like Rachel.

Rachel keeps looking at him as he gently puts it by the chair in the corner and walks over to her. She cocks her head to the side as Finn reaches his rough hands and traces her sides, eliciting a gasp from her. His hands, warm as usual, feel heavenly against her skin.

Finn drops to his knees and kisses her stomach, making Rachel lace her fingers through his hair, pulling it by his grey strands as he places open mouth kisses on her skin, tongue tracing the same path as his fingers as her insides clench at the delicious sensation. He suddenly grabs the back of her thighs, making her close her legs around his body as he lays her down and kisses her with such sweetness she might burst into tears right then and there.

She reaches for the hem of his t-shirt, tugging on it. Finn grabs it through his back and takes it off, making Rachel beam. He dives in for her neck, tongue tracing from the juncture of her neck and shoulder to the back of her ear. Her skin prickles and his right hand traces from her collarbone to her breasts. He squeezes them softly through her bra as Rachel impatiently lifts her body off the bed and takes it off, sending it away.

Finn chuckles at her fervour, lowering his mouth to catch her nipples with his lips. He rubs his tongue over it, up and down, left to right. Rachel gasps for air, fingers taking hold of his hair, her small fingers pulling them, encouraging Finn to keep going. He gives the same attention to both of them, making Rachel squirm with need. He then continues on kissing down her skin.

He hooks his fingers at the top of her pants, dragging them, along with her underwear, down her toned legs, kissing every inch of skin that comes his way. He takes a moment to appreciate her naked in front of him. He lowers his head between her legs and inhales long and hard, breathing in her scent and groaning in appreciation. As he finally dips his head between her thighs, Rachel stops breathing for an entire minute. Or so it feels. Finn is doing exquisite things to her body, playing her body to perfection, and Rachel feels like she's floating.

He sucks, nips, bites. His tongue darting out of his mouth in long strokes, dragging itself across her centre, making Rachel's legs quiver around his head. He holds on to them to keep her steady, dragging his fingers on the inside of her thighs and making Rachel moan louder as a slow burn builds inside of her. He keeps bringing her to the edge and then slowing back down, in an unexpected pattern that is seriously driving her _mad_ , she's never been more sexually frustrated _and_ satisfied at the same thing. This is the most intense she has ever felt, every single part of her body tingling.

Finn slides his left hand over her torso and she catches his fingers with hers, squeezing his hand and digging her nails into his hand. He squeezes back and sucks hard on her clit, making her fall over the edge as her mouth opens in a silent scream, lungs working hard to capture the air around her. Gasping for breath, her legs fall over the bed and she has to take a moment to recover this hazy state of lust and pure, unaltered pleasure. Finn smirks his way up to her mouth, kissing her breathless once again, making her taste herself and she could die right now, this feels _amazing_.

Grabbing his face between her hands and bringing his mouth back to hers, kissing him with all the emotion she can muster at the moment, which, turns out, is quite a lot, she says, "That was…" Shaking her head and looking deep into his eyes, she can't even find words.

He gives her a lopsided grin, "Yeah?"

She smiles back, "Yeah."

Finn gives her a soft kiss and gets up the bed, taking off the rest of his clothes quickly as Rachel leans on her elbows, watching him in all his glory. He reaches for his night stand and pulls out a condom, putting it on. She doesn't stop looking for a single second so Finn smirks at her and raises his eyebrows.

He leans over the bed and Rachel's body. He puts both of his arms by her head and brushes his lips against her, saying just above a whisper, "Let's see if I can make it better, huh?"

She giggles and wraps her legs around his body. Finn strokes himself and skilfully slips inside of her. The movement evokes a gasp from both, making them breathe into each other's mouth, lips trembling with desire. Rachel lets out a long moan against Finn's mouth and he takes it all, kissing her and swallowing her pleasure, fuelling his own as he drives long and deep into her.

Finn drives his mouth away from her as he kisses her neck, breathing hard against her ear, telling her in a husky voice how good she feels. Rachel shivers under his hot breath and words, Finn taking advantage to slip both of his hands over her body, lifting her hips. He sits back on his heels and the angle makes Rachel gasp for breath as he keeps pumping in a steady rhythm, not too fast or slow, just a perfect flow of deep strokes. Finn picks up Rachel's legs and sets them over his shoulder. Leaning down, he speeds up his pace as their mouth fused again in a needy and desperate kiss. Rachel's hand reach for Finn and he takes them, stretching her arms above her head as he drives furiously into her.

Bodies slick with sweat and the smell of sex surrounding them, Finn sits down again and lets Rachel's legs off his shoulder, he then asks her to lie on her back, face down. She does what he asks and raises her ass in the air, turning her face and giving Finn a sexy smile, shaking her body for his viewing pleasure. Finn licks his lips at the view, leaning down, spreading kisses all over her back all the way up into her neck. He grabs a fistful of her hair and Rachel gasps under his rough and luscious pull, making him slip inside her once again.

Kneeling behind her, he pulls her body towards his, hand still buried in her hair. He licks his way up to her ear and says in a husky voice, "I want you to come for me again, Rach." Nodding furiously, Rachel rubs her nipple between her fingers as her right hand slides between down her body. She touches herself as Finn keeps pumping into her from behind, flashes of colours blasting behind her eyelids as Finn suddenly grabs her face and turns it to his, kissing her as he explodes inside of her. Their bodies still moving together, taking them slowly down from the high they never want to get down.

Tired bodies falling down on the bed, Rachel lets out a small laugh.

"What?" Finn asks, breathless and sweaty and she wants to lick him clean.

"You…" she breathes, "You're amazing."

He chuckles and leans over to her, hands on the side of her face and kisses her again, this time taking his time to explore her as she inhales sharply through her nose, melting into his body. He disconnects his mouth from hers and presses his forehead to her temple. Finn softly kisses her lips. She laughs and covers his hand with hers, completely happy at the moment.

~.~

Finn wakes in the morning and feels a dead weight on his legs. He raises his head and sees Ernie looking straight at him with his mouth open.

"What are you doing here?" he hisses.

Ernie waggles his tail wildly, getting up and barking at Finn.

"Shhh, Ernie! You're going to wake up—" Ernie comes close and starts licking Finn's face, making him chuckle and pet him. The dog sees Rachel and starts sniffing her hair. "Hey, dude, stop it." Rachel lets out a sleepy giggle, fully waking up from the motion around her.

Finn tries to take Ernie off the bed, but he insists in sniffing Rachel, who can only giggle in return.

"I'm sorry about this, babe. I don't even know how he got here."

She gives him a sleepy smile, "It's okay, honey. I actually woke up in the middle of the night and it was raining, so I put him back inside. I know he has a doggy house outside… but I just felt _so_ bad for him," she says, putting her left hand over her heart and pouting.

Finn shakes his head at her cuteness and leans in to give her a quick kiss, "It's okay," he states. "Well, now that I'm up I do have to walk him, do you want to wait here or something? I see it's still drizzling outside, I don't want you to get wet," he says, looking out the window. "Actually, not _quite_ this kind of wet anyway…" he gives her a sly smile. Rachel lightly slaps his arms and lowers her head, blushing at his statement.

He raises his eyebrows at her jokingly and she giggles.

"I actually think I'll just make us some breakfast whilst you take him out, is that okay?"

"Sounds great, babe. I'll be right back," he says, pecking her lips and getting up. He slides his boxer briefs on and heads to his closet to grab some clothes as Rachel plays around with Ernie, but not without admiring Finn's retreating form.

"Your human dad is very hot, Ernie," she says in a playful voice, giving Ernie a look. Ernie barks at her and she laughs. Yeah, he totally sees it, too.

 _Wait, that's kind of weird…_

Ugh, nevermind. Finn is _deliciously_ hot. Let's just focus on that, Rachel thinks.

~.~

Even though everyone (kind of) met during the opening of Finn's restaurant, he wants to properly introduce Rachel to his family as his girlfriend and actually spend some quality time together so he calls him mom and tells her to arrange an intimate barbecue for _just_ his family.

 _Finn stresses over the phone, "Mom, it's just you, dad, and the twins, okay?"_

 _"Sure, thing, sweetie," Carole says dismissively, "Don't worry about it."_

Obviously Carole has other plans, so the first time Finn brings Rachel over to his mom's house, Carole makes sure to invite all of Finn's friends. This is not exactly his ideal idea of a first official meeting between his girlfriend and his mom, but Carole was so excited he can't deny her anything.

So when Finn pulls the car over to his mom's house, he turns to Rachel and says, "There's going to be a lot of people there, Rach. And they're going to be nosy as fuck." She smacks his arm for his words and he gives her a look, "I'm serious. Even Kurt and Adam flew in! Plus, Santana and Quinn have been desperate for me to have a girlfriend in Vancouver so we can have game nights for as long as I can remember. They're going to be pretty eager to spend more time with you."

"Aw, they're cute! And we can totally do game night! I'd like that," Rachel replies enthusiastically.

"We actually can't, Rach. If they ask you, just say we have a thing or whatever, make something up. Anything."

"Awww, why?" she pouts. "That sounds so fun."

"They're crazy and obsessed, Rach," he says seriously, making Rachel frown her temple. "Quinn turns into this monster and she screams and throws things. I _know_ that's the reason our friends Mercedes and Sam moved to Calgary."

She laughs loudly at Finn's words, "Oh gosh, Finn, they certainly didn't move because of innocent game night!"

"Okay, maybe not," he'll give her that. "But!" he insists. "They _do_ get intense and crazy. I never been to any of these game nights, but what Mercedes told me scares me every time I think about it."

 _"And then Quinn started throwing darts at Santana for missing the target, Finn!" Finn's mouth falls, his eyes wide. Mercedes nods knowingly and keeps going, "Like, literally throwing darts AT HER FACE! And then she ran, obviously, and she CHASE after her, throwing darts at her back and ass and I SWEAR, I'll fake divorce with Sam before going to another game night!" she promises, "My face is too damn gorgeous to receive ANY kind of darts!"_

 _Finn stares at his friends with a scared look on his face. He frowns and says, "Come on, guys, they can't be_ that _bad…"_

 _"They are! They're competitive and scary, man. I'm on board with Mercedes' plan to fake break-out, I swear to God." Sam says, giving Finn a serious look._

 _Finn shakes his head at the information their friends just gave him. Surely, Quinn and Santana can't be that bad… right?_

"A few months later Mercedes and Sam moved to Calgary. Sure, they're going to be back soon… but they only told me so far because they're scared of being invited to 'Quinntana Game Night'."

Rachel gives Finn an amused look, "'Quintanna's Game Night'?"

"Quinn plus Santana, it's their couple name since High School," Finn explains.

"Awww, that is so cute!" Rachel gushes. "What would be our couple name?" she wonders.

Finn gives her a half smile, "It's Finnchel."

"What?" she asks, eyes wide. "Did you come up with that?"

He gives her a full smile, "No, actually, Kurt and Adam did. Kurt says he "ships" us, whatever _that_ means."

Rachel makes a giddy noise and leans over the console to kiss Finn.

"So, anyway. No game night, okay, babe?"

"Okay, sir!" Rachel quips, making Finn chuckle.

~.~

"FINNY!" The twins scream as they see Finn and Rachel coming through the door, Ernie quickly running to the backyard looking for the delicious meat smell, making the twins giggle.

Finn gives Rachel a small smile and leans down, Nathan and Hannah rushing over to their big brother, both jumping on him. Rachel closes the front door and then she watches the scene with a loving smile on her face, a hand to her heart.

"Hey, guys," Finn greets.

"We missed you, Finny!" Nathan and Hannah say.

"I missed you guys, too" he says, hugging his siblings.

Hannah tugs on her brother's hand and whispers, "Is that her, Finny?" she asks, pointing to Rachel.

Finn gets up and reaches for Rachel's hand, lacing their fingers, "Yes, Banana," he says, looking down at them. "This is my girlfriend, her name is Rachel. You guys remember her from the opening night, right?"

Nathan immediately waves at Rachel whilst Hannah quietly admires Rachel's summer dress, it's a beautiful eggshell blue with little red roses all over it. Hannah's enchanted with how pretty Rachel is.

"Hi again, guys! It is very nice to see the two best siblings in the whole wide world again," she says, making Nathan and Hannah blush under her praise. Finn sends Rachel a wink and she scrunches her nose at him.

"Hi, Miss Rachel," Nathan says, offering her his tiny hand.

"Hello, Nathan," she responds. "You have a very strong handshake there, handsome."

Nathan grins at her, dimples showing and Rachel thinks she might melt; he looks a lot like Finn. So cute.

"I have a strong handshake, too!" Hannah says, pushing her brother to the side, wanting the visitor's attention. "Hi again, Miss Rachel," she shakes Rachel hand with a proud look on her face.

"That is also a very strong handshake, gorgeous."

Hannah beams at Rachel, loving the older woman's praise.

Burt and Carole hear the commotion and come over to the foyer.

"Hello, you two!" Carole says, first hugging Finn then Rachel. Burt does the same.

"Hi, Rachel. Welcome to our home, sweetheart," Carole says warmly.

"Thank you so much, Mrs. Hummel," Rachel says, returning Carole's hug.

"Oh, please, dear. Call me Carole," Carole responds.

"Okay then. Thank you, Carole."

Burt does the same, welcoming Rachel into their home and family. Rachel smiles at how warm and open they are.

"Well then, shall we go to the back?" Carole asks. "Finn's friends should be here soon enough."

"Where's Kurt and Adam, mom?" Finn asks.

"They're still sleeping, sweetie. Time zones and all," she explains.

Finn and Rachel nod, the twins already running and screaming for Ernie. Finn grabs Rachel hands in his and kisses them before kissing her forehead, both of them walking to the backyard hand in hand.

~.~

"Rachel! How wonderful to see you again!" Quinn says warmly, offering Rachel a side hug, giving that Grace is clinging her torso. "This cutie is my baby Grace."

"Hello again, Quinn," Rachel responds with a smile on her face, "Oh, she is so precious!" Rachel raves, gently brushing her hand against Grace's face, who openly stares at the woman with wide eyes.

Rachel makes silly faces and Grace gurgles.

Finn watches the scene from a distance, Santana talking his ears off about something or another, he's not exactly paying attention when Rachel looks so wonderful, now holding Grace in her arms, kissing his goddaughter's hair gently whilst she talks to Quinn.

"So anyway, now I'm pregnant with a horse."

" _What?_ "

"Finn, I've been telling you my new business plans and you have been listening to none of it! What is with you? Is her pussy that good?"

"Shut up, San, my baby brother and sister are around," Finn says sternly, "You're an asshole."

Santana dismisses Finn's words with her perfectly manicured nails, "So? Is it?" she asks expectantly.

Finn gives her a hard look, "Come on, Finnocence. Sure, having a best friend who's straight is boring as shit, but I need some happy times talk."

Finn gives Santana an amused look and asks, " _Happy times talk_?"

Santana groans, "Quinn's been making me 'talk properly' when Grace's around, even though she's just one or whatever. Apparently babies recognise stuff you say for later or something."

Finn smirks, "So you can say p-u-s-s-y, but can't say 'sex talk'?"

"Finnegan, why are you stalling? Gimme some juicy details!" Santana whines. "I love my baby girl, but whenever I'm about to get it on with Quinn, she cries as if on cue. Every freaking time. I'm losing my mind."

Finn laughs at Santana's dramatics. She talks a lot of shit about Kurt being a Drama Queen, but she's not that far from him.

"Don't laugh at me, _Mr. Rachel Berry_. This will be you in no time by the way you look at her."

Santana's words ignite flashes of a future with Rachel holding a baby, their baby, in her arms and coddling them gently. Finn smiles at the thought, Santana punching his arm to get his attention again.

Finn sighs, "Fine. She's awesome. Amazing. Best I ever had," he says. "Are you happy now?" he asks, annoyed.

"Okay, that was not nearly enough detail, but I will give you that for now," Santana complains. Finn shakes his head at his friend's behaviour. "Please do get some, though. For you and for me. I'm fucking serious, Finn," Santana says.

Finn laughs and turns to watch Rachel pampering Grace again. She catches his eyes and sends him a peaceful smile, completely content at that moment.

~.~

After Kurt and Adam wake up, and Tina and Mike arrive, everyone sits down to eat. Tina sits by Finn's side, Rachel's on his other side, and gives him a thumbs up, whispering, "She's wonderful, Finn, I'm so happy for you, partner."

Finn responds with a proud smile, eyes incredibly happy. Tina's never seen him this serene before. She's thinking it's about _damn_ time.

~.~

"Oh! We should invite Finn and Rachel for couples' game night, San!" Quinn says, as they're all sitting in the backyard relaxing after eating.

Finn looks at Rachel and slightly shakes his head not to drag Quinn or Santana's attention to him. His eyes are wide and he has a seriously scared look on his face. Rachel stifles a giggle, clearing her throat.

"What do you say, Rachel? You will love it!" Quinn says enthusiastically, "We just got this new game, it's called DiXit and we've been _dying_ to play it! Tina and Mike are too busy settling in so they can't right now, but you and Finn are free, right?! It would be perfect!" Quinn gives her an eager smile, making Rachel sit there, mouth slightly open, not knowing exactly what to say, having (jokingly) promised to Finn to make up an excuse.

"Settling in?" Finn whispers to Tina, who's still sitting beside him. "We've been here for _months_ already."

"Shhh!" Tina hisses, "I've heard stories about 'Quinntana's Game Night'. Mike and I will be busy _foreve,_ " she whispers back, making Finn chuckle.

"So! What do you say, Rachel?"

"Mmm… actually, Quinn…" she stumbles upon her words. "Finn and I—we're actually—"

Finn can see his girlfriend struggling because of his own scary reasons (Yes, he's scared of Quinn and he's not afraid to admit it), so he swoops in, "Rach and I are kind of swamped right now, Q. Her cat's sick and she needs constant care," he says smoothly. Quinn's face falls and she pouts, and Finn immediately feels bad for lying to one of his oldest friends. "But we'll let you know when she gets better, okay?"

Quinn perks up at his tone and smiles at the couple, "Okay, I'll wait."

It's a lie, of course. Nina is actually doing much better these days. Finn and Rachel have been looking for the best vet in Southwest Canada to treat her and, by Dr. Yokas referral, they found an awesome one in Victoria so she has been much better than before, which makes Rachel feel better and not too paranoid to sleep over at Finn's afraid of going back home and finding Nina dead with the dog (and cat) sitter crying over her cold body.

But still. It's a good excuse, who would question anything about that?

Even though Santana seems suspicious and does give Finn a weird look. Finn then realises he told Santana about the vet in Victoria and almost hangs his head in shame.

Yep, they're going to have to go to Quinntana's Game Night soon enough.

~.~

Usually, Finn has a hard time trusting anyone who's not his mom to look after his dog, so the first time he sleeps over at Rachel he brings Ernie, already mentally preparing himself for the struggle it's going to be once Ernie sees Nina. He would call his mom, but it's late and he doesn't want to disturb his family. He talks over it with Rachel and she encourages him to bring Ernie over. Bisou and Alfie will be delighted, Finn! Rachel says, so Finn soldiers on and grabs Ernie and his things, which is like, an entire bag that Rachel taught him to prepare when sleeping over with a pet. He doesn't think it's necessary to bring five toys, but Rachel is so adorable when she cares for Ernie that Finn will do pretty much whatever she wants.

The ride to Rachel's house is peaceful enough. Ernie's at the passenger seat, sitting like the good boy he is, watching the traffic with his tongue out. If Finn weren't such a conscious driver, he would try to snap a picture of the adorableness that is his dog.

Finn pulls over at Rachel's house and grabs Ernie's overnight bag in the backseat. He honks to let Rachel know he's here before putting Ernie's leash.

"Okay, boy. We're here. Please behave, okay?" he asks seriously.

Ernie just licks his hand in response, to which Finn chuckles in response.

As they're walking to the front door, Rachel opens the door, Bisou and Alfie quietly sitting by her feet. She gives him a smile and kisses him quickly. She leans over to Ernie and says, "Hey, there, big boy! Are you going to behave tonight? Yes, you are! Oh, yes, you are!"

Finn grins at the interaction, Ernie wagging his tail madly. He soon sees Alfie and Bisou and they all start sniffing each other, very much familiar with each other.

At the end of hallway, Nina passes from one room to another, catching Ernie's attention. He barks and lashes forward, making Finn almost fall with the force of his pull. Finn holds on tight, though. Alfie and Bisou don't understand what's happening, running over the stairs to hide somewhere in Rachel's house.

Finn gives Rachel a sad look, "Babe, I think I should just go back home."

She brushes him off, "Nonsense, honey. I want you to come over to my place whenever you feel like it and Ernie, too," she assures him. "I have an idea, get inside and wait here."

Finn closes the door and stands there, holding Ernie's leash whilst Ernie keeps on barking, trying to get away and find Nina.

Rachel appears a few seconds later with Nina in her arms. She comes over slowly, running her fingers through Nina's fur as the cat purrs and rubs her head against Rachel, asking for more.

"We'll just have to do what families do when they introduce a baby," Rachel says.

"But babe, he's met plenty of babies. He gets along great with Grace, I don't think this is going to work…"

"Don't be a downer, Finn," she huffs, "Let me try something, okay?"

"Sure, Rach. Sorry," he gives her a dimpled grin, which he knows, he _knows_ will soften her up. She narrows her eyes at him, completely aware of his actions.

She gets close to them and Ernie keeps barking, wagging his tail, trying to sniff Nina

Rachel puts one of her hands over Ernie's head. "It's okay, buddy. This is just Nina," she says gently, trying to calm Ernie down with her voice. "She is very nice and would love to be friends with you," Rachel puts Nina right by Ernie's nose and he quits barking immediately, just keeps on wagging his tail madly. He sniffs her, Nina opening her eyes and giving him a side-eye look.

Ernie looks at Finn and Rachel, as if asking for permission. Rachel pets his head and Ernie licks Nina and keeps on sniffing her. He rubs his nose against her belly and she purrs.

"Rach," Finn whispers, "You're a genius."

Rachel lets out a small chuckle and says, "Take his leash off, and let's see if he's ready for it."

"Are you sure, babe?"

"Trust me, Finn."

Finn leans down, pets Ernie and takes his leash off. Ernie doesn't seem to notice, sniffing a now very sleepy Nina.

Rachel slowly gets up, testing to see if Ernie will not bark.

It doesn't work.

He barks again so Rachel sits by the floor and brings Nina to his level again. He seems happy enough and results his task of sniffing Nina and licking her head.

Rachel gives Finn an amused look, "I guess we'll just have to stay here for a while, huh?"

~.~

For the first few hours, Ernie desperately chases Nina around the house wanting to "get to know her better" as Rachel explains to Finn, who never had a cat and a dog in the same house before.

Nina's not exactly interested. She is way more interested, however, in hoping from furniture to furniture as Ernie helplessly follows her around.

After tiring himself out of his useless endeavour, Ernie then distracts himself playing with Alfie and Bisou, who finally come down the stairs. The three dogs seem to have a blast, running all over Rachel's house and rolling around.

After dinner, Finn and Rachel sit by the couch, their dogs, and Nina and Shadow, by their feet, all worn out after such an eventful evening. To be fair, Shadow have been sleeping most of the time, hardly paying any attention to Finn and Ernie, but he's still played around with Nina so he's tired, too.

Rachel is slowly dozing off, lying in Finn's arms, when he decides it's time to go to bed because he's also getting sleepy. He's been working at the restaurant since 7am, after all.

"Babe," he whispers against her hair, "You want to go to bed?"

"Mmm…" she murmurs, still half asleep.

"Rach?"

Rachel raises her head. "Yes?" she asks, voice heavy with sleep.

"You want to go to bed?"

"Yes, let's go, I just have to make sure the cats and dogs' have their food."

Finn starts to stand up, "It's okay, baby. Go to bed, I'll check for you." he offers.

Rachel thanks him with a kiss, "Okay, I'll wait for you. Come quick."

Finn gets up, whistling for the dogs to follow him. He goes over to Rachel's backyard and checks all of their bowls. He calls each dog to their respective bed (because _of course_ Rachel had personalised houses with their name on top) and they settle inside just fine. Finn brought over Ernie's "travelling bed/away home" as Rachel likes to call it, but he doesn't seem too interesting in getting inside. He tries a couple of times, giving up, and saying, "Buddy, I have to go to bed, please go inside." Ernie's not even a bit interested as he sits down by Finn's feet and resting his nose against Finn's shoes.

Finn chuckles at his dog. He picks Ernie up and tries to put him inside. The dog complains, but eventually gives him.

Finn turns back to the house and goes over to Rachel's room. He enters the room quietly, the lights out, just the bedside lamp on her side on. He quickly changes into his pyjamas and brushes his teeth, slipping inside the covers and spooning Rachel. He closes his eyes, drifting to a peaceful sleep.

~.~

The following morning, Finn wakes up with Rachel kissing his neck, she's licking down his neck and it feels pretty _damn_ good. He lets out a happy sigh and murmurs, "Good morning, beautiful."

As he opens his eyes he realises it's not, in fact, Rachel who's kissing his neck, but Shadow licking him.

"Ahh!" he shouts, "Gross, dude!" Shadow jumps to Rachel's side of the bed, far away from Finn, trying to hide behind Rachel.

Rachel wakes up and asks in a sleepy voice, "What's wrong?" She immediately stretches her hand and pets a slightly upset Shadow, detecting his mood without even opening her eyes. Finn would be impressed if he weren't so annoyed.

"Your cat tried to give me a hickey, Rach!"

Rachel giggles, "I'm sorry, Finn. He knows how to open the bedroom door."

"Yeah, well, it's time to change the lock, Rach," Finn huffs in indignation. He gets out of the bed and opens the door, calling Shadow to leave the room. The cat is obviously not interest, giving him an unimpressed look (Finn's been pretty good at reading Ernie and Rachel's pets eyes after she gave him a lecture on it, even picking up Shadow's happy mood a few times he came over to Rachel's house).

Rachel laughs at Finn's annoyance, getting up and putting Shadow just outside her door. She then closes the door and puts a chair behind it, so Shadow can't get inside again.

Finn shoots her a thankful smile, already on his way to the bathroom. Rachel follows him and they both brush their teeth. After they finish their morning duties, they stand in the bathroom looking at each other. Finn makes a move to tickle Rachel just to see her smile and she runs to her bed, trying to hide from him under the covers. He quickly covers her body with his and removes the covers. Words dropping to a whisper, he hugs her from behind and says lowly against her ear, "I was kind of hoping for some quality time before I have to go to work, babe."

Rachel whines against him, turning around and catching his lips in a sizzling kiss.

"Mmm, I like that thought. But we have to be fast, okay?" Rachel breaths against his mouth. Finn's eye widen at the implication and he quickly nods his head, kissing her hard. Rachel turns her back against his front, arching her back and teasing Finn with her perky little ass. She gives him her signature sultry look over her shoulder that have the power to bring him to his knees (and also make him hard faster than anything he ever knew) and he groans.

She knows exactly what she's doing. And it's sexy as fuck.

Finn quickly takes off his and Rachel's clothes. He then palms himself and enters her body without wasting time. Rachel throws her head back and lets out a long moan, hands going behind Finn's body and squeezing his thighs, making him drive faster into her. He brushes Rachel's hair out of the way and places hot, open mouth kisses on the back of her neck, making Rachel whimper.

Finn picks up Rachel's right leg and pulls it over his own, the new angel making him reach deep inside her. Rachel fights for breath, her stretch and opened leg giving Finn plenty of room to descent his right hand between her legs and intensify her pleasure. She gaps his name and asks for more so Finn gives it to her.

Just as she's about to explode, Finn turns Rachel over him, making her sit down on his lap. She gets the hints and starts riding him, fingers squeezing his knees as she goes back and forth, back and forth. Finn reaches his hand for her hair, mingling his fingers with her curls, and pulls her back against his chest. She whines louder, letting out a strangled request that she wants to see him. Finn nods against the side of her face and Rachel turns to face him.

She kisses him hotly as she starts riding him again. Rachel lets Finn's mouth go as she sits down on him, the new position given her just the friction she needs. As she rides him, she brings her hands to her hair and holds it over her head, Finn watching her like the sex goddess he believes she is, giving her enough confidence to keep going, harder, deeper.

Not wanting to be away from her any longer, Finn sits down, left hand sliding down their bodies and rubbing Rachel's clit just the way it makes her wail in pleasure. She licks his lips and bites down on his lower lip, eyes staring into his. Without breaking eye contact Rachel rides him harder, calling his name in a sweet, sweet agony. He nods, capturing her lips and her swallowing her screams of pleasure, perfectly understanding her anguish. He rubs his thumb over her clit faster as she clenches around him. Her fingers pull roughly at his hair (just the way he likes it) and pleasure runs through his veins.

Yeah, this is more like what he had in mind when he first woke up.

~.~

Finn and Rachel are eating in his restaurant after hours when Rachel suggests they should confirm a game night at Quinn and Santana's house.

Finn complains at her suggestion, making a whiny sound.

She mock glares at him, saying, "Stop being a baby about this, Finn."

"Come on, Rach, you _really_ want to go?"

"Yes, Finn. Quinn invited us and it's polite to go," she answers. "Plus, I truly want to go, it sounds _so_ fun."

Finn sighs, reaching for his phone. He goes to Quinn's contact info and calls her, putting it on speaker. It rings a few times before she answers.

 _"Hi, Finn,"_ Quinn greets

"Hey, Q."

"Hi, Quinn! It's Rachel, too!"

 _"Hey, Rachel! How are you guys?"_

"We are well, how are you? How's Grace?"

 _"Oh, she is doing so good! You have to come over and play with her, Rachel. I'm sure she will love it!"_ Quinn gushes through the phone line.

"Actually, Finn and I call you for something like that," Rachel says. "Well, sort of."

 _"Oh my God, are you guys offering to babysit? Because San and I could use a night to ourselves!"_

Rachel laughs, "Not exactly. But I'm not opposed to babysitting Grace whenever you need, just let me know, okay?"

 _"Rachel, you are such an angel! I will definitely take you up on that offer. I'll talk to San and get back to you,"_ Quinn responds. _"Sorry. You were saying?"_

Rachel looks at Finn and cocks her head to his phone, encouraging him to talk to Quinn.

 _"Guys? Is everything okay?"_

Finn clears his throat, "Actually, Quinn, we wanted to ask when you and San want to have a game night. Rach and I are free."

Quinn lets out a shriek and Rachel smiles at her enthusiasm. Finn lets out a small groan, receiving a backhanded slap on his arm.

 _"Oh my God, really?!"_

"Yes, Quinn, we would _love_ to come over for game night."

 _"Oh my God, this is so exciting! Can you guys do Friday? Or Saturday?!"_

"Saturday night I have to work, but Friday is good," Finn responds.

 _"Yay! I'm so excited, I'll call San right now and let her know."_

Rachel grins, "We're excited, too!"

 _"Okay, guys, I have to go. I upset Grace up with my screaming," s_ he laughs. _"But text me whatever you guys want to eat and drink and we're all set. Friday at seven. Is that okay?"_

"That's perfect, Quinn. We'll see you Friday."

 _"Yay! Can't wait. Bye, guys."_

"Bye, Quinn," Finn and Rachel say in unison.

Finn pouts after hanging up. Rachel laughs and kisses his pout away and he seems to get over it for like, two minutes.

"Finn, why don't you invite Mike and Tina?"

"I don't think they'll go for it, Rach."

"Oh my gosh, Finn. Quinn cannot possibly be that bad," Rachel claims. "You guys are so… so mean to her."

"We're not mean, we all love her. But I'm telling you, Rach, she gets super intense. Mercedes is not afraid of _anything_ and I believed her when she told me," Finn insists.

"Drama Queen," Rachel puffs, brushing her boyfriend with her hands.

"You can invite friends to go, too. I mean, if you want. I'm sure Quinn won't mind," Finn offers, "We always hang out with my friends, I think it's time to hang out with your friends. What do you say?"

Rachel shifts in her seat, saying, "You just want to call other people because you think Quinn will behave this way," she teases, dodging the question.

"Okay, that might be part of my asking," he confesses, making Rachel let out a small smile. "But! I do want to meet your friends, babe. You can invite them if you want to."

"No, that's fine," she says dismissively.

She tries to change the subject, but Finn notices that her smile falters and this is _not_ the Rachel he knows so he pushes her for an answer. "What's wrong, babe? You don't want to introduce me to your friends?"

"I, um…"

Finn's brown furrows at her uncertainty, "Rach?"

"I actually… I don't—" she sighs sadly. "I don't have any friends, Finn," she says, lowering her head and biting down on her lower lip.

"What?" Finn reaches for her hand over the table they're sitting, gently rubbing her knuckles. "How come?"

She shrugs, "I don't know… I just never had any..."

"Babe…" Finn drags his chair closer to hers, face softening. He lowers his head and searches for her eyes, "Do you want to talk about this?"

"No, it's fine," she murmurs, shaking her head slightly. She raises her eyes and looks at him. "After years of therapy I already made peace with it, it's okay," she nods, trying to reassure Finn (and secretly her own self because she might have accepted it, but it still stings).

"Okay then," Finn gives her a small smile and she slowly reciprocates. "If you want to talk about it, though… I'm here, okay?"

She nods, "I know that, honey. Thank you," she says, leaning forward and kissing him softly.

"Anyway, no more depressing talk! How was your day?" Rachel asks, effectively changing the subject. She attempts to smile at him, but it doesn't quite reach her eyes. Finn is concerned, he never seen her like this before. He feels like shit for making her think about it. But if she says she's okay, he'll take it a face value. For now.

They have all the time in the world to talk about this later.

~.~

Rachel ultimately convinces Finn to invite Tina and Mike so Finn tries to come up with a plan the next day. He figures since Tina is pregnant, he could try to butter her up with food. He makes Tina's favourite breakfast for her the next morning at the restaurant. Tina eyes him suspiciously, but eats the food anyway. She's never been one to deny avocado and roasted balsamic mushroom bagel with a mouth-watering mango, almond and honey smoothie, and she's not about to start now.

"What is going on, Finn?"

"Oh, nothing," Finn says quickly, brushing her off. "Can't a partner make their favourite partner a delicious breakfast?"

"Mmm," she mutters, narrowing her eyes at him. "I'll keep an eye on you today, though, just in case."

Finn gives her his signature dimpled grin and she backs down. For now.

At lunch, Finn also makes her one of her favourite meals and Tina finally breaks him down.

"Okay, tell me right now what's happening, Finn. Stop trying to suck up to me."

Finn sighs, "I need to ask you something. And I need you to listen to everything I have to say before saying no, all right?"

Tina purses her lips, narrowing her eyes. After a long moment, she gestures for him to go ahead.

"Please come with Rachel and I to Quinntana's Game Night? I-"

Tina burst out laughing at his request, "Obviously not."

"Wait, you didn't even let me finish!"

"I'm not listening to you. I am pregnant. Pregnant, Finn! With child! My heart rate and blood pressure has to be stable at all times. I don't need any screaming around me!"

"Please, Tina. Come on. Rachel has like, no friends," Tina gives him a doubtful look and he nods seriously, "And like, you, San, and Quinn are pretty cool. I want her to have that in her life. I'm sure she would love to have some women folk to hang out."

"Women folk?" Tina laughs again.

"I'm serious," Finn insists. "This game night could seal the deal, her being friends with you guys. _Please_."

Tina sighs, not answering his question. She takes a moment to think about it. Okay, while she does believe Quinn cannot be _that_ bad, she's not exactly eager to try and see for herself. But she does feel bad for Finn. And Rachel.

Finn doesn't take Tina's silence well, so he brings out their pact, the "partner favour". She huffs and actually stomps her feet, "Are you seriously evoking your 'partner favour' for _this_?" She asks sceptically.

Finn nods firmly, "Yes, I am."

"Is Rachel _really_ this awesome? So awesome you will lose your _annual_ partner favour?"

A smile stretches over his face and he answers securely, "Yeah, she is."

Tina stays quiet for a long moment, finally exhaling through her nose and saying, "UGH! Fine! Mike and I will be there."

"Yes!" Finn celebrates, "You're the best, partner."

"Uh huh," Tina mumbles, "Can I eat now?"

Finn chuckles, "Sure thing, partner."

~.~

Finn parks his car outside of Quinn and Santana's house, honking to let them know they're here. He takes a deep breath and says, "Okay, let's do this."

Rachel shakes her head at her boyfriend's dramatics. She leans over the console and gives him a quick kiss, "Everything will be okay, honey. Just relax."

Finn gives her a dubious look and sighs again, "And if it does go bad… I'll make it up to you later tonight, okay?" she teases, sending a wink his way. Finn finally grins at her, getting excited at the prospect of what's to come. He left Ernie at his mom's house and plans on spending the night at Rachel's house with plenty of satisfaction being involved.

He reaches over the console and kisses her again, smiling into the kiss.

They finally get out of the car, Quinn is already by the door waiting for them.

"Hi, guys! I'm so glad we get to do this!" she says, hugging Rachel first, then Finn.

"Hey, Q," Finn says.

"Hi, Quinn. Thank you for inviting us," Rachel says cordially,

"Your house is beautiful."

"Thank you, Rachel. Santana is good for something after all. She designed this house herself." Quinn jokes, making Rachel laugh back. "Well, come on in, you two. Tina and Mike are already waiting for us."

Finn sticks his bottom lip out quickly just to make sure Rachel really wants this. She slaps his arm with the back of her hand and gives him a hard look. She follows Quinn inside as Finn hangs his head and sighs for the nth time that day.

Here's to hoping.

~.~

Quinn draws… something… something weird with what it seems to be an eye… Oh, there's the second eye. There's also strange shaped right in the middle of the eyes and… and a single line under it, connecting to the strange shape, which must be the nose. Maybe this is a face for some animal or something. Or maybe it's an alien.

"Alien?" Santana asks before Finn can ask for himself.

"Oh my God, San, NO! I said it was an animal!" Quinn says impatiently, turning back to the board and drawing circles around the "face" of the "animal".

Finn cocks his head to the side, trying to understand her drawing. Rachel is sitting by his side, face concentrated on the drawing, a small smile starting to stretch her pretty mouth and he can't stop staring at her. Santana notices and pushes his shoulders.

"Stop ogling your woman and help figure out this drawing, Finn. We're going to lose this shit, this is already 15 to 6, they are going to crush us," Santana admonishes.

Finn huffs and pays attention to Quinn's drawing again.

They're playing Quinn's version of Pictionary. She made the cards herself and they bought a dry erase easel. It's actually been fun so far, especially when they got the "things" category, which can be seriously anything. He can't believe that Mike guessed when Tina drew rubber bands. Rubber bands!

Focusing back his attention to the game, he continues to watch without understanding much. When Quinn draws what seems to be ears, Rachel quickly gets up from her seat and screams, "OH! KOALA BEAR!"

"YES!" Quinn yells and the three women start screaming and jumping together.

"HA! Beat that, Lopez!" Quinn teases.

"Actually, koalas aren't even bears…" Mike mutters.

Rachel turns to face him, one eyebrow raised, a smirk on her face, "Oh gosh, fine! Is _Phascolarctos cinereus_ good enough for you…" she frowns, turning quickly to Tina and whispers something in her ear, Tina whispers back, making Rachel smile. Rachel then turns to Mike again and asks, "Is that good enough for you, _Michael Robert Chang Jr.?"_

Tina and Quinn laugh at her sassiness and glare at Mike. He slightly shrinking under their gaze.

Santana groans and gets up from her seat to draw. She gives the other women an annoyed look and reaches for a card. She takes it out and smirks.

"You guys are going down. This is worth 3 points. Finn and Mike are going to nail this sucker," Santana gloats.

Quinn rolls her eyes at her wife. Santana gives Mike and Finn a hard look. Mike raises his hand defensively in response and Finn chuckles.

"Okay, let's do this," Santana says. She starts drawing a circle and then puts little marks inside the circle, just over the line. She draws a small triangle by the bottom of the circle and an even smaller circle just in the middle of the big circle. Just under the little marks, she writes "x1000".

Quinn gets up from her seat, pointing to the drawing, "OH! OH MY GOD! IT'S THAT THING!"

"That's not an answer, Q," Santana responds, continue on working on her drawing.

"OH GOD, THAT CAR THING! That… ughhh, I can't remember the name!" Tina says.

"TACHOMETER!" Finn yells.

"YES!" Santana joins in and high fives Finn and Mike. "Told you they would have my back on this."

"That's not fair," Rachel pouts, "I don't know the name of that thing."

"That's exactly the point, babe," Finn consoles his girlfriend by kissing the side of her head.

"Don't worry, Rachel. We'll get them," Quinn assures her. "It's Tina's turn now and she's going to bring it for us, I can just feel it."

Tina gets up from her seat and grabs a card. She lets out a loud laugh and says, "Oh man, we _so_ got this."

Quinn and Rachel both perk up at her words, both giving Tina thumbs up as Mike, Finn, and Santana look at them annoyed.

Tina goes over the board and draws a simple line. As she stands next to the board she smirks at the boys and gives Quinn and Rachel an encouraging smile.

"LINE!" Santana screams.

Tina shakes her head, smile firmly in place. Rachel and Quinn start whispering to each other and the boys look bothered because that is a line… what the hell more could that be?!

"Wait, babe… that's it?" Mike asks slowly.

"Yep!"

Rachel narrows her eyes, starring at the line. Suddenly she gets up and says, "BOUNDERY!"

"AAAAH! YES!"

Quinn, Rachel, and Tina start screaming and jumping up and down again. Santana huffs and throws her head back, letting out a long breath. Finn and Mike join her.

This is not going as expected. They really thought they would nail this game. Finn almost gets annoyed, but Rachel seems so happy jumping around and dancing that he can't help but smile at her. He's really glad she got along with his friends.

~.~

A few hours later and now the three couples are saying their goodbyes by the front door.

"Tonight has been really fun, Quinn. Thank you for inviting us," Rachel says, hugging Finn closer to her tiny body. She gives Quinn an honest smile. Finn kisses the top of her head and sends Quinn a smile, too.

"Thank _you_ guys for coming," Quinn responds warmly, Santana nodding beside her.

"Yeah, this was really fun," Tina says. "We should make it a regular thing."

Quinn claps her hands, super excited, "Yay! I would love that! We can set it up later in our group chat."

"Yes, great idea," Tina says.

"Deal," Rachel adds.

The four women smile at each other and everyone says their goodbyes, heading to their respective cars.

As Finn is driving to Rachel's house, he looks over at her and she has a small smile on her lips. He reaches over the console and takes her small hands in his, bringing it to his mouth and kissing it gently.

Rachel lets out a happy sigh and says, "Tonight was really fun. Thank you for agreeing to go, Finn," she grins at him and he smiles back.

"You're welcome, Rach," he responds, lifting their joined hands to his mouth again and kissing the back of her hand. "Sorry for being an ass about it. I think Quinn must have been pregnant when she went crazy on San's ass. I remember her saying something about it…" he drawls, making Rachel giggles softly.

"I really like them. And Tina. Your friends are really nice, Finn."

"I'm sure they like you back, baby. What was it about the group chat you guys were talking about?"

"Oh, they asked me if it was okay to create a group chat with the four of us. Obviously I said yes. They also want to sail whenever, just the four of us, to spend some quality time together. I'm super excited about it!" she grins. "What do you think?"

"I think it's awesome, Rach. I knew they would love you."

Rachel lets a happy sigh and closes her eyes, resting her head against the headrest. Finn looks at her, she's so peaceful at the moment, and he can't help but smile at her.

It's about fifteen minutes later when they reach Rachel's house. She's sleeping against her seat and Finn chuckles. He would be half annoyed, but Rachel did have so much fun tonight, he can't blame her for being tired. He reaches for her purse and pulls out her house keys.

Finn then goes over to her side, gently picks her up and locks his car. Walking to her house, Rachel automatically snuggles closer to him, arms closing around his neck. Finn kisses her temple, manoeuvring his body to open the door. He closes it with his feet, making a mental note to lock the door after putting Rachel to bed.

He carries her to her bedroom. He gently lays her on the bed, taking her shoes off. He then removes the cover from the other side, picking Rachel up again and putting her back on the bed. Finn carefully unbuttons her jeans, pulling them down her legs. She shifts a bit on the bed, but doesn't wake up, just turns her body over and curls up against her pillow.

Finn goes back to his car and grabs his overnight bag. Coming back inside, he locks the front door. Checking to see if her dogs and cats have food and water, he heads to the backyard. Since everything seems to be in order, Finn then goes back to Rachel's room.

Rachel's half awake, her arms outstretched and searching the bed for something. She raises her head and looks at him sleepily, "Finn?"

"Hi, baby," he says, taking off his pants and t-shirt. "You can go back to sleep, I'm just getting ready for bed."

"Sorry for the lack of sexy time, I'll make it up to you," she promises, resting on her elbows.

Finn chuckles, folding his clothes and putting them over his bag, "Don't worry about it."

"You're sweet. Grab my nightgown, please? This blouse is uncomfortable to sleep in."

Finn grabs her nightgown from her standing hanger and hands it to her. Rachel slips her bra and blouse off, making Finn unconsciously lick his lips at the sight of her naked breasts just… _right there_ in front of him. She puts the nightgown on, lying down and sighing, "Come quick, I want to cuddle."

Finn slips on the bed and curls up behind Rachel. He kisses the back of her neck and she relaxes against him, pulling his arms tighter against her body.

"Thank you again for tonight, Finn," she whispers. "Your friends are wonderful."

"You don't have to keep thinking me, Rach. And now they're your friends, too."

"Mmm. That's nice. It feels good to have friends," she sighs, slowly drifting off.

Finn kisses the back of her head and hugs her closer. He's really glad she has some new friends, too.

~.~

For the next couple of weeks, Finn and Rachel's relationship seems to get better and better. Finn couldn't be happier about that.

On the other hand, Finn's relationship with Ernie seems to go slowly downhill. Not exactly because they are not getting along, but because Ernie seems to get sick again whenever Finn's out for too long. Finn has been pulling long hours at the restaurant given that it's been packed with people. Plus, he really wants to make a name for himself so he has to work as hard as he can.

Finn eventually talks to Tina about it and she agrees for him to take a few days off to take care of his dog, his _sous chef_ filling in for him.

Finn invites the twins to sleep over for the _entire_ week and he swears they almost pass out at the possibility to spend an entire week with their brother and his dog. Carole immediately accepts Finn's offer. Especially since she was already contemplating asking Finn to care for the twins whilst she spends some alone time with Burt. Now that Finn's back in town, she and Burt can finally take trips by themselves. She also figures it is Summer after all, so the twins might as well spend as much time as they can with Finn before school starts again.

It's a few days later and Carole and Burt bring the twins over to Finn's house. Parking just outside Finn's house, they're flailing wildly in their seats.

"Daddy, hurry! I want to see Finny!" Nathan complains.

"Yes! And Ernie, too!" Hannah adds.

"Ernie! Yes! Ernie, too, daddy!" Nathan says.

Burt chuckles at how anxious the kids are. He knew they missed his brother more than words could ever say.

"Are you guys going to behave whilst your mother and I are out of town?"

"Yes, daddy," the twins say in unison.

"Good. I expect both of you to be in your best behaviour, all right? I trust you guys with this."

"We'll be good, Daddy," Nathan says.

"Yes, we promise," Hannah adds.

"Guys," Carole starts, looking over at Burt, shooting him a questioning look. Burt nods his head and smile at his wife. "This is how it's going to happen, okay? Pay attention?"

"Yes, Mommy," they say in unison.

"Daddy and I are going to unbuckle you two. You guys are going to hold our hands until we reach Finn's fence. Okay?"

"Okay, Mommy!"

"And then… you guys can run as fast as you can inside, okay?"

" _As fast as we can_?" Hannah asks slowly.

Carole nods, making Nathan and Hannah look at each other with wide eyes and open mouths, completely flabbergasted at their mother suggestion.

Burt parks the car in front of Finn's house, honking to let his son know they're here. Carole and Burt then do as they promised, the twins squirming in their seats with impatience. The moment they reach Finn's fence, they run so fast it makes Burt's head spin. Carole and Burt pick up the twins' bags on the trunk of the car and head towards Finn's front door.

"FINNYYYYY!" The twins scream together.

"Hey, guys!"

Nathan and Hannah jump on Finn's lap and hug him tightly. Finn lets out a shaky breath through his mouth, getting emotional at the pure love emanating from his brother and sister. He can't believe he never spent this much time with them before.

When they finish hugging, Carole and Burt are already out of the car and getting closer. Carole sees the emotion in her son's eyes and gives him a tender look. He smiles back over the twins' head.

Telling everyone to come inside, Finn closes the door.

"Okay, guys, I have to talk to you. Come here," he gestures for the twins to come closer. "Now, before you play with Ernie I have to warn you that he's kind of sick lately. So if he doesn't want to play at first, just be patient, okay?" The twins nod at their brother request.

"Is it bad? Is he going to get better, Finny?" Hannah asks in a small voice.

"Yeah, of course. He's just been lonely lately," Finn reassures her. "But now that you guys are here, he can get better because he's not going to be so alone anymore, yeah?"

"Yeah!"

Finn grins at them and sends them off. Finn, Carole and Burt head to the kitchen whilst the twins try to play with Ernie by the living area. They're not being exactly successful, Ernie remains on the floor, resting his head over his paws and eyeing the twins.

The three adults watch the twins whilst they sit by the kitchen counter.

"Do you guys want to eat something? I can make a sandwich or something for your flight," Finn offers.

"Thanks, son. I'm good," Burt says.

"I'm good, too. We actually have to go soon, Finn. But I just wanted to say… I'm so proud of you, sweetie," Carole says. Finn gives her a questioning look and she adds, "You're just so marvellous with them. They love you very much, and I'm sure they're going to have a blast this week."

"Yeah, son. We're really proud of you. You're a good man," Burt says, offering Finn a pleased smile. Finn gulps at his parents words, not exactly expecting this flood of compliments.

He tries to sound composed in his answer, but his voice breaks just a little, "Wow." Clearing his throat, Finn continues, "Thank you, guys. I appreciate it so much."

"No, honey, thank _you_ for being so wonderful," Carole says, going over to Finn's side and hugging him. "We could not be happier that you're home once again."

"And not just because now we have a free babysitter either," Burt jokes, making Finn and Carole laugh at his words.

"Okay, now we really have to go. You know I don't like being late," Carole says, calling the twins over to tell them goodbye.

"You guys sure I can't drive you?"

"Don't worry about it, son. We're just use Park'N Fly, that way when we come back on Sunday night we can head home and you can bring the twins in the morning."

"All right, dad, if you're sure…"

"I'm sure, son," Burt says, patting Finn's back and receiving a smile in return.

Carole then tells the twins, "Make sure to follow Finn's rules, okay, babies?"

They nod obediently at her words, "Okay, Mommy."

"Great. Now give Daddy and I a big hug."

The twins hug Carole and Burt, turning around and running back to Ernie again, making Carole and Burt shake their heads. Obviously they are more preoccupied with the dog than with their parents.

Finn goes with his parents to the front door and they say their goodbyes, Finn heading back inside with a smile tugging the side of his mouth.

This week is going to be awesome.

~.~

Later that night, Finn is cooking dinner when the doorbell rings.

Hannah rushes over to answer, having heard Finn inviting Rachel over the phone earlier. She opens the door and Rachel is standing there in a pretty strapless purple dress with small chairs printed on them.

Rachel beams, "Why, hello there, Hannah!"

"Hi, Miss Rachel."

"You look very pretty tonight," Rachel says kindly.

Hannah makes a noise and lowers her head, cheeks tinged pink. She then rushes back inside and goes back to playing with Nathan and Ernie, almost crashing into Finn and making Rachel laugh.

Finn finally reaches over the door and greets Rachel, calling her inside.

"Hi, baby," he says, kissing her softly.

"Hi, honey," she reciprocates his kiss and then gives him a kiss on his cheek for good measure.

"Oh gosh, it smells wonderful in here, Finn. What are you cooking?"

Finn gives her a dimpled grin and says, "It's a new recipe I'm trying for the restaurant, nothing too fancy or anything."

When Rachel enters the living area, she greets Nathan, "Hi, Nathan."

"Hi, Miss Rachel!" he says, sitting by the floor, dragging a train over the centre table, not paying much attention to the arriving guest.

Finn goes back to the stove, finishing up something and asks Rachel to sit by the kitchen counter.

"Do you want some white wine, Rach?" Finn says, offering Rachel his glass. Rachel's about to answer when Nathan's voice comes from the living area.

"I WANT WINE!" Nathan screams from the living room.

"That's a grown up drink, buddy," Finn laughs. "But do you want some grape juice instead?" Nathan nods his head. "How about you, Banana?" Hannah also nods her head.

"Rach, can you get some from the fridge, please?"

"Sure," she goes over to the fridge and gets the juice for the kids. Pouring all of them a glass, she brings the juice for the kids and goes back to the kitchen counter. Finn picks up his glass and slides it over to Rachel.

"White wine, huh? Are we having fish tonight?"

Finn raises his eyebrow, not saying much.

"Come on, Finn… you can tell me."

"You'll see it in a second, Rach. I'm just waiting for the time to go off and then we can eat, this is pretty much ready," he says as he picks up a pan of white rice from the stove and takes it to the living room. "Can you grab the mashed potatoes, please?"

Rachel helps Finn to set the table when the timer goes off.

"Hey, Nate? Banana?" The twins turn their head towards their brother. "Please go wash your hands so we can eat, okay?"

They nod and get up from their seat, Ernie following them.

Finn goes over to the oven and takes a big pan out of the oven. He sets it up on the dining room table as Rachel sits down. She slowly rubs her hands together inhaling the delicious scent. "Finn, that looks so good!"

"Thanks, Rach, but don't compliment too much before trying."

"Oh, hush, everything you cook is delicious."

Finn gives her a small smile and leans over to kiss her. Their lips touch softly, but after a few moments Rachel instinctively deepens it, resting both hands on either side of his face as she opens her mouth for Finn. They break apart when they hear giggles coming from behind Finn. The twins covering their mouths and giggling, eyes sparkling. Rachel can't help but let out a soft laugh.

"All right, munchkins, settle down," Finn says, sitting by Rachel's side and kissing the side of her head. The twins look at them again, but this time, they try to contain their giggles.

Finn doesn't know why the twins find kissing so funny, but they always giggle, it's actually kind of cute. Even when Carole and Burt greet each other. But Finn figures, it's not just because he doesn't understand it that it's not adorable as fuck.

The twins sit in front of Rachel and Finn, everything already laid out in front of them as they start eating. Finn made them white rice, mashed tomatoes, and tilapia with dendê oil, black olives and cherry tomato seasoned with basil, rosemary, and black pepper. Plus, a regular arugula, lettuce, assorted nuts, and cherry tomato salad, Rachel's favourite.

Rachel eats a piece of the fish and lets out a small moan, "Oh gosh, Finn, this tastes amazing!"

Finn tries to contain his… ahem "excitement" at Rachel's noise. He clears his throat, Rachel giving him a questioning look. He quickly winks at her and she gets it. She blushes under his stare, shifting in her seat. If his siblings weren't here, she would most likely jump him right now. Well, after eating this delicious meal anyway.

Finn shakes his head slightly, shaking those thoughts away and grins happily at his girlfriend. "I'm glad you liked it, Rach," he turns towards his siblings. "Guys? What do you think?"

"I like it, too, Finny. It feels good against my mouth, it's like it's melting!" Finn laughs at his sister's explanation. He asks the same question to his brother, but doesn't get an answer. Nathan doesn't say anything, just keeps shoving a bunch of food in his mouth over and over again.

"Hey, buddy, slow down," Finn suggests. "You're going to get sick if you do that."

"Nope! I'm good," Nathan says and continues on eating hastily.

"Nathan, I am not kidding," Finn gives him a stern look, and says slowly, "Eat slower, please."

Nathan stops at his brother's tone and tenses. Gulping, he says, "I'm sorry, Finny."

Finn's face softens, "It's okay, bud. Just go slow, okay?"

Nathan nods, giving Finn an attempted smile. Finn smiles back and Nathan visibly relaxes, grinning at his brother, his dimples showing.

Finn tries again, "So, did you like it?"

"Yep, it's really good. Can you teach mom how to do it so she can do it for me and Han?"

Finn grins at his brother's request, "Of course. I'm glad you liked it, Nate."

The four make easy conversation for the rest of the meal. When they're almost finished with dinner, Hannah asks, "Finny, what are we having for dessert?"

Nathan nods furiously beside his sister, eyes wide, starring right into Finn's gaze.

Finn and Rachel share a laugh. "Dessert? We are not even finished eating yet, Banana."

"Maybe brigadeiro?" Nathan asks hopefully.

Finn tries to deviate their attention when he says, "We'll see about it, okay?"

~.~

Finn does end up making brigadeiro, which him, Rachel, and the twins eat with four spoons, just the way his mom taught him when he was a little boy. They watch Mulan whilst eating in the TV room, the twins falling asleep by the second half of the movie.

Rachel and Finn share a soft smile over their heads. "Rach, I have to take them to bed, will you wait here before leaving?" Finn whispers, not wanting to wake up Hannah and Nathan.

Rachel doesn't say anything, just smirks at him. He gives her a questioning look and she says just above a whisper, "I actually got Quinn and Santana to watch my pets until tomorrow night, is it okay if I stay over?"

"Of course it is, baby. Are you serious?!"

"Yes," she smiles, eyes sparkling. "Turns out, having friends is pretty awesome," she says honestly, and Finn knows this means a lot to her.

Finn gives her a soft look, "Yes, it is, isn't it?" She nods, face open and honest and happy and Finn just wants to grab and kiss her. "If my baby brother and sister weren't sleeping right here, I would kiss you into oblivion, Rachel Berry."

"Just kiss me?" She teases and he gives a painful look, mouthing 'Mean'. She giggles softly at his face, leaning forward and giving him a quick kiss. "I'll help you take them to bed, okay? I'll take Hannah and you take Nathan," she suggests. "And then we can cuddle into oblivion."

Finn chuckles quietly. "Deal."

~.~

"I thought we were cuddling into oblivion?" Finn laughs as Rachel drags her wet mouth on his neck. She sucks hard just under his ear, making him hiss as he grips Rachel's waist harder. She then descends the same path, reaching his collarbone. She shifts his t-shirt out of the way to kiss his soft skin. Getting impatient because that's not skin enough, Rachel reaches under his t-shirt and lifts it over his body, making Finn chuckle again.

"Shh, we have to be quiet," Rachel whispers against his mouth, nails grazing down his torso, finding their way inside his pants. She passes his boxer briefs and grabs him firmly. Finn lets out a restrained groan, inhaling sharply through his nose, trying not to make a sound.

Rachel slides down his body, making sure to kiss every single centimetre of exposed skin she finds along the way. Finn buries his fingers in her soft hair and tries to breathe properly, which seems to be hard as Rachel drags his pants down, Finn lifting his hips to help her.

She drags her hands over Finn's legs, slowly massaging them as she gets closer and closer to her ultimate destination. Rachel takes her time, kissing Finn's hipbone as her left hand finds his hard cock, keeping a steady up and down rhythm. She finally puts her mouth on him, making Finn gasp as she smiles against him.

Rachel is not if not thorough, so she licks the base of him, going slowly up and down, covering his entire shaft with her hot mouth, her saliva helping to smooth her hand over him. She reaches the tip of Finn's cock, spreading gentle kisses and running her tongue into the slit, making Finn shudder under her. Her left hand never stops moving up and down, trying to take care of all his favourite spots. As her right hand slides to his abdomen, she forces her nails on his skin, feeling his inside clench. She reaches his chest, where his hands meet her tiny one, giving it squeeze, letting her know she's doing pretty fucking awesome so far. Dragging the same hand down, she squeezes the inside of the top of his thighs, and then drags her nails at the juncture of his thigh and groin and Finn gasps.

"Rach."

Raising her head, she gives him a smirk before engulfing the head of his cock with her mouth, her tongue circling the head and running over the slit again. She sucks lightly on it and Finn shudders again, making a smile tug on the corner of her lip. Without breaking eye contact, she slides him further into her mouth, Finn biting hard into his lower lip, pupils dilated and almost black from the pleasure she's giving him. He nods his head and she closes her eyes, humming and sliding him further, feeling him reach the farthest she can take him.

Finn lets out a strangled cry. "Jesus- _fuck_." He covers his mouth his left hand, right hand resting on Rachel's hair, guiding her pace. He purposely nudges her head up and down in a painstakingly slow pattern because she's curling her tongue, tracing random shapes into the side of him and it's making him see fucking galaxies behind his eyelids.

Rachel slides her right hand into his balls, cupping them gently and rolling them in her small, warm hands. Finn clutches her hair tighter, speeding up her tempo, lifting his hips slightly, as if not to hurt her. She takes her mouth off of him for just a second, descending the side of him and going for his balls. She licks them, tongue tracing one of the most sensitive part of his body, making him let out a long groan. She goes back to his cock, sucking on the underside of the head and Finn's entire body trembles under her, both hands now clutching her hair. She can tell he's trying to contain himself, but she really wants him to lose it. And fast. She slides her mouth over him again, taking him to the back of her throat and humming long and hard against his cock. Finn finally loses control, pouring into her mouth and Rachel takes all of it, until the very last drop.

Lifting her head, she cleans the side of her mouth with her thumb, giving Finn a luscious smile. He's panting, chest heaving with each breath he fights to capture. He runs his tongue across his lip, shaking his head and stretching his hands for Rachel. She laughs a little at his lack of words, taking his hands. Finn draws her closer and kisses her hard, tongue slipping into her mouth. Rachel lets out a gasp against his mouth, resting her legs on either side of him. She slips her fingers through hair and presses her body closer to his.

Finn reaches for the top of her dress, pulling it down and exposing her breasts to his view. He licks his lips, wasting no more time and latching his mouth on her right nipple, tongue tracing the tip. He sucks hard, making Rachel moan softly as she throws her head back. Finn's left hand is paying attention to her left breast, making Rachel rocks her hips against Finn's. Finn kisses his way to her other nipple, paying the same attention.

He kisses his way to her collarbone then continues on her neck, tongue tracing her hot skin. Sucking just under her jaw, his hands sneak between their bodies, lifting Rachel's dress quickly and making her giggle softly. Their mouths soon again find each other in a slow and passionate kiss, Finn's tongue exploring Rachel's mouth as her skin prickles and she drags her nails down his chest once again.

Finn presses his hands against the sides of her face, fingers sliding into her hair as he groans against her mouth, "Fuck, I love your nails so much, Rach."

Rachel presses her forehead against his, tongue darting out of her mouth and licking his chin and lips, "Oh yeah?"

Finn nods, making Rachel press her nails harder against his skin, making it sting in the most deliciously painful way. Finn presses his fingers to her waist, rocking her hips against his, the friction of her underwear against his cock feeling amazing. They continue on kissing for a while, Rachel pressing herself harder onto Finn.

Detaching her mouth from his, she asks in the small space between their lips, "How do you want me?"

Finn doesn't miss a beat and responds, "All fours." Rachel gives him a smile and nods. Detangling her body from Finn's, she steps to the side of the bed and slowly drags her underwear down her legs. She gives him a sexy smirk, cocking her finger for him to come for her. Finn licks his lips and gets up, hands reaching for her. She shakes her head slowly and lifts her right hand, indicating for him to stay firmly in place. Rachel then puts her hands against the bed sheet, deliberately moving her body over the bed, knees resting against the soft fabric. She pushes her torso forward, making an 'mmm' sound and stretching her entire body, ass sticking out. She wiggles her behind for Finn, looking over her shoulder and giving him a sly smile. Never taking her eyes off of him, she breathes, "Fuck me into oblivion, Finn."

Finn shivers slightly at her request, sucking in a deep breath. As he steps behind Rachel, he palms his hard cock, putting it against her body. He slides it over her perky little ass and slides into her, trying to control himself and not curse or groan loudly.

He starts slowly, focusing on the feel of Rachel against him. Sliding his hands over her back, he starts with the curve of her ass, spreading his warm hands over her back. He brings his hands back, sneaking them to her side and breasts, squeezing them greedily he hears Rachel letting out a contained moan. He smiles, raking his hands down her stomach, feeling her muscles clench under his ministrations.

Finn brushes just the tips of his fingers against her pelvis, tracing random patterns as she gasps. He trusts deeply and slowly, keeping a steady rhythm. Rachel throws her head back and pushes her hips against his. He takes her hint and speeds up, his strokes still deep, but not as slow.

He presses the back of his hands against either sole of her feet, dragging his finger lightly, almost like a feather, across her ankles and calf. He continues on the back of her thighs and hears Rachel gasping, a shiver running through her entire body. Satisfied that he teased her enough, Finn claps his large hands against her hips, driving faster into her, his strokes long and hard.

Rachel drags her right hand between her legs and presses her middle finger against her clit. It doesn't take long for her wall to clench hard against Finn. He lets her ride the waves of her orgasm as he keeps pumping steadily into her. Rachel can't take the pleasure running through her body and bites her left hand roughly, letting out a long, strangled moan. Finn finally lets himself go and spills into Rachel, throwing his head back and biting his lower lip, almost hard enough to draw blood.

Slipping out of Rachel, Finn throws his body on the bed, his legs wobbling. Rachel turns and looks at him, letting out a small laugh. He gives her a dimpled grin and reaches his hand to brush away the wet hair out of her face, their activities making her bangs stick to her clammy forehead. He gives her a loving look and Rachel clings to his hand on the side of her face.

"I need to take a shower after this. Join me?" she suggests, already getting out of bed and rushing to Finn's bathroom.

He shakes his head, a small smile on his face, and runs after her.

* * *

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Park'N Fly, but I do recommend their service!**

 **AN: I don't know how many chapters we have left, but let's just roll with it. I originally thought about making this a two shot, but clearly that didn't work lol. Thank you for reading. :)**


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